Jack Straw: A Farce in Three Acts.
MAUGHAM, W. Somerset.
Jack Straw: A Farce in Three Acts.
First Edition of W. Somerset Maugham's Jack Straw; Inscribed by Him to New York Book Collector Norman Unger
London: William Heinemann, 1912.
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Item Number: 152296
First edition of one of Maugham’s early stage farces. Duodecimo, original red cloth. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, “For Norman Unger, W. Somerset Maugham.” The recipient, Norman Unger, was a legendary New York book collector who collected the works of modern authors for more than 30 years and often befriended them. In near fine condition. From the collection of Craig V. Showalter with his bookplate to the rear pastedown. An exceptionally bright example.
Jack Straw, a farce in three acts, was one of W. Somerset Maugham’s early theatrical successes. First produced in London in 1908, it appeared during the extraordinary season in which Maugham had four plays running simultaneously in the West End, a feat that made him the most talked-about playwright of his day. The play is a social comedy of mistaken identity, turning on a mysterious waiter who may or may not be an archduke and the snobbish, social-climbing family he sets out to humble. Its success followed closely on that of Lady Frederick and confirmed Maugham’s gift for the witty comedy of manners that would keep his plays in the repertory for decades, alongside his celebrated work as a novelist and short-story writer.
