Description
For sale: a Rare and Exceptional first edition, first printing hardcover copy of Exorcism: A Play in One Act by Eugene O’Neill with no dust jacket as issued. First Edition unstated, 2012 Yale University Press, First Printing with a complete number line reversed, 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1. First hardcover appearance of the play. Introduction by Edward Albee.
The book is in Very Good condition with clean, bright boards with some sheen and dull areas. Also with, moderate title gilt on a heavily sunned spine and the facsimile signature on the front. Also, clean, toned page blocks, tight binding, moderate to heavy spine tilt, rolled and lightly rubbed spine ends, mild edge wear, and rubbed corners with no bare spots. The interior of the book is in Near Fine condition with the ghost of an erased price on the half title page. No other marks, inscriptions, or other signs of ownership inside. The end papers and the interior pages are clean and bright making it an excellent addition to any collection.
No dust jacket, as issued.
Shortly after the debut of Exorcism in 1920, Eugene O’Neill suddenly canceled production and ordered all extant copies of the drama destroyed. For over ninety years, it was believed that the play was irrevocably lost, until it was recently discovered that O’Neill’s second wife had in fact retained a copy, which she later gave to the prolific screenwriter and producer Philip Yordan. In early 2011, Yordan’s widow discovered the typescript of Exorcism—complete with edits in O’Neill’s own hand—in her late husband’s vast trove of papers. The discovery and publication of Exorcism, a relatively early play in the O’Neill corpus, furthers our knowledge of O’Neill’s dramatic development and reveals a pivotal point in the career of this great American playwright.
Small thin volume ships promptly in a secure mailer with the book wrapped in both craft paper and bubble wrap.
