CONRAD, Joseph (1857-1924). Nostromo, London, 1904, 8vo, (some staining and spotting), original blue cloth lettered and decorated in white, spine gilt (rubbed). FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE, of what is widely-regarded as the author's masterpiece.

CONRAD, Joseph (1857-1924).  Nostromo. A Tale of the Seaboard. London: Harper & Brothers, 1904. 8vo (184 x 125mm). Half title, publisher's advertisement on the verso of half title, woodcut printer's device on title (some staining and spotting, more pronounced to the first and last few leaves including the half title, the verso of the half title and the title, small piece torn away from the lower inner corner of the dedication leaf without loss). Original blue cloth lettered and decorated in white, the spine lettered in gilt (faded, short split to the lower joints, the spine stained and rubbed with some loss of gilding to the letters at the foot, extremities rubbed). Provenance: The Property of a Collector; C. [?]N. Jones, 1904 (signature on front free endpaper). FIRST EDITION of what is widely-regarded as the author's masterpiece, of which Arnold Bennett wrote "... one of the greatest novels of any age" and F. Scott Fitzgerald "I'd rather have written Conrad's Nostromo than any other novel." THE FIRST ISSUE with page 187 mis-numbered 871 and the final page numbered correctly as 480. "... the novel is luxuriant in its magnificence: it is Conrad's supreme triumph in the evocation of exotic life and colour ... This aspect of Conrad's genius in Nostromo has had full recognition; indeed it could hardly be missed. What doesn't seem to be commonplace is the way in which the whole book forms a rich and subtle but highly organised pattern. Every detail, character, and incident has its significant bearing on the themes and motives of this. The magnificence referred to above addresses the senses, or the sensuous imagination; the pattern is one of moral significancies" (F. R. Leavis The Great Tradition). Cagle A10a; Ehrsam 2213; Keating 62; The Modern Library Top 100 47: "Conrad's supreme achievement"; Smith 11; Wise 15: "Regarding Nostromo Mr. Conrad has recorded that it occupied 'Two years of very arduous work'; and added, 'My feelings in re-reading it can best be expressed in the French saying - Ne fait pas ce tour qui veut.' Upon another occasion Mr. Conrad wrote:- 'This novel was serialised in "T. P.'s Weekly" to the great annoyance of its readers, who wrote many letters complaining of so much space being taken by utterly unreadable stuff ... It is now generally considered as my greatest creative effort!'" RARE, with only about 2,000 copies printed.