"HIS COUNTRYMEN COULD MISBEHAVE AT HOME JUST AS WELL AS IN THE TROPICS": MAUGHAM'S FIRST PERSON SINGULAR, 1931 FIRST EDITION

MAUGHAM, W. Somerset. Six Stories Written in the First Person Singular. London: W. Heinemann Ltd., (1931). Octavo, original blue cloth, original dust jacket. $400.

First English edition of this collection of six short stories written in the first person singular, in the original dust jacket.

Maugham was a master of the art of the short story and First Person Singular includes one of Maugham's most famous short works, "The Alien Corn." The stories "were set in England and on the Continent. Maugham meant to show that his countrymen could misbehave at home just as well as in the tropics… Maugham's books were now printed in first editions of 10,000 copies, and sold well, but he had lost ground with the critics in a decade when social realism such as George Orwell's was much admired" (Morgan, Maugham: A Biography, 353-54). This preferred first English edition was preceded by the American edition issued 11 days prior. Stott A42b. Small ink annotation to rear free endpaper; bookseller's label.

Book about-fine, scarce original dust jacket with a bit of creasing along upper edge and some old tape reinforcement on verso (two instances on recto), clean and bright, exceptionally good.