MAUGHAM, W. Somerset.
The Unknown: A Play in Three Acts.
London: William Heinemann, 1920.
$975.00
In Stock
Item Number: RRB-152298
+$500
First Edition of W. Somerset Maugham's The Unknown; Inscribed by Him to New York Banker and Arts Patron Edward Wassermann
First edition of one of Maugham’s most serious plays, a meditation on faith and doubt in the aftermath of the First World War. Duodecimo, original champagne wrappers lettered in brown. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the half-title page, “W. Somerset Maugham. For Edward Wassermann.” The recipient, Edward Wassermann, was a New York banker of the Seligman banking family who became one of the most celebrated party-hosts and patrons of the arts in 1920s New York. A fixture of Carl Van Vechten’s circle in the literary and artistic world of the Jazz Age. With his ownership plate to the verso of the front wrapper. In near fine condition with light soiling. Bookseller's ticket to the rear wrapper. Housed in a custom cloth slipcase and folding chemise. From the collection of Craig V. Showalter. Rare and desirable signed.
The Unknown, a play in three acts, is one of W. Somerset Maugham’s most serious dramas, a meditation on religious faith in the aftermath of the First World War. First produced at the Aldwych Theatre in London in August 1920, it follows a young soldier who returns from the war having lost his faith, setting him in painful conflict with his devout fiancee and family as they confront questions of belief, grief, and the deaths of a generation. Dedicated to the actress Viola Tree, the play reflects the disillusionment of the postwar years and Maugham’s willingness to bring difficult moral and spiritual questions to the commercial stage. It appeared during the period when Maugham, already celebrated as a dramatist, was turning toward the novels and stories that would secure his lasting reputation.
The Unknown: A Play in Three Acts.
$975.00
In Stock
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