GALSWORTHY, John

Maid in Waiting

London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1931. Item #06509

A Signed Galsworthy - The Forsyte Cycle Continued in an Elegant Limited Issue

GALSWORTHY, John. Maid in Waiting. London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1931.

First edition thus, limited to 525 numbered copies signed by the author (this copy no. 161).

Large octavo (8 3/4 x 5 3/4 inches; 222 x 146 mm.). [xvi], 1–136, [2], [2, blank] pp.

Publisher’s quarter cream vellum over green vellum boards, front cover stamped in gilt, spine lettered in gilt, top edge gilt, others uncut. A near fine copy, with the slightly chipped original cellophane dust wrapper. Housed in the original green card slipcase.

A finely produced signed limited edition of Maid in Waiting, the opening volume of Galsworthy’s later Forsyte sequence - often referred to as the “End of the Chapter” trilogy - continuing the great social panorama that had brought him international acclaim.

Awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature the year following publication, Galsworthy stands among the foremost chroniclers of English social life in the early twentieth century. In Maid in Waiting, he turns from the central Forsyte clan to a new generation, examining themes of class, duty, and emotional restraint with his characteristic restraint and moral clarity.

This limited issue from William Heinemann Ltd. mirrors the publisher’s house style for presentation copies of the period: the tactile contrast of cream vellum and patterned boards, gilt top edge, and uncut leaves combine to create a volume of quiet distinction. The survival of the fragile cellophane wrapper - even with minor chipping - is a notable point, as such wrappers were seldom preserved.

A desirable signed example of one of Galsworthy’s later works, offering both literary significance and the refined physical qualities sought by collectors of modern English literature.

Price: $150.00