Robert Louis Stevenson
London, 1886
 
First English edition of one of the most zeitgeist-infiltrating classics.
 
Original buff wrappers, spine chipped and split but holding, scattered spots on rear wrapper, general rubbing, interior largely clean - withal a Very Good, honest copy and increasingly rare in untouched condition. Housed in a cloth chemise, inner flaps foxed. Ex-libris Mary and Donald Hyde, superstar collectors of Harvard fame. Contemporary ink signature "Kate Rae" on front cover.
 
This U.K. edition was slated for release in December of 1885, but was delayed until January 9th, 1886 as the publisher didn't want it to get lost in the Christmas shuffle. The American edition was published four days earlier on January 5th.
 
This is a frightening tale, not necessarily because of Mr. Hyde’s visible beastliness - but because Stevenson reminds us that the most frightening elements of existence reside within.