Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
Price: US$579.95 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: Rare original antique 1878 unauthorized first American edition of Jules Verne s Off on a Comet (the second part of Hector Servadac and sequel to To the Sun). The book is overall in very good condition with some minor signs of wear and age. The covers only have some light wear. The binding is good and sound. The interior is lightly toned from age with just the occasional light bit of foxing, soiling, or grubbiness. Along with that there may be the very occasional page with some kind of other minor imperfection such as a tiny chip or tear, minor interior crack, creased page corner, etc. Generally though, it's a nice copy. The book measures approximately 7 1/2 inches by 5 inches and is 472 pages long. It is profusely illustrated with several black and white plates.
Seller: Nevermore Bookstore, Wallingford, CT, U.S.A.
Verne, Jules. HECTOR SERVADAC. , 1878.
Price: US$1450.00 + shipping
Description: Translated by Ellen E. Frewer. With Numerous Illustrations. New York: Scribner, Armstrong & Co., 1878. 2 pp undated ads. Original red cloth pictorially decorated in gilt and black, beveled. First complete American hardbound edition -- also the first authorized American edition. A collision with the errant comet "Gallia" rips out a section of the Earth that includes Gibraltar and the north coast of Algeria, carrying off various unintentional "colonists" (including French Captain Hector Servadac and his orderly Ben Zoof) into space on a two-year orbit of our solar system; they are forced to take refuge in a volcano to survive the cold stretch farthest from the sun. This tale was first published in America (and in the English language) by the pirate-publisher George Munro in his wrappered "Seaside Library" in September 1877. A month later the Philadelphia firm of Claxton, Remsen & Haffelfinger issued the first half of this tale in a pirated cloth-bound volume titled TO THE SUN? Then in November 1877 (though dated 1878) were published the authorized Sampson Low edition in England, and this authorized Scribner Armstrong edition -- both of the entire tale, both with the Ellen Frewer translation. (It was not until May 1878 that CR&H published the second half of their Philadelphia edition, OFF ON A COMET!.) This is a magnificent volume, produced at the apex of American book design, with an elaborately decorated binding and with over 100 full-page illustrations, originally priced at a hefty $3.00. This copy is in red cloth (we have also had terra-cotta and green -- no priority). It is a handsome copy, with the binding unusually bright -- in near-fine condition (just a touch of wear at the extremities). Taves & Michaluk V016; Myers 33.
Seller: Sumner & Stillman [ABAA], Yarmouth, ME, U.S.A.
Price: US$1500.00 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: xii, [1], 14-472 p., interspersed with plates. 19 cm. Frontispiece and 35 other b&w plates. Brown cloth with black and gold impressing. Front cover shows skygazers in a village, embossed in black below a sky full of gilt twinkling stars and the comet itself streaming towards the horizon. Spine shows figures in song at the bottom and dancing at the top. Mylar wrap, removed for photos. Moderate wear to corners, edges and spine ends. A little rubbing to spine. Hinges cracking internally. A few small spots. A couple of signatures jutting out slightly. Part two of "Hector Servadac." Several people have been carried away by a comet contacting the Earth. The comet passes by various bodies in the Solar System before returning the travelers to our own planet. Verne originally intended all his characters to die in the collision. His French publisher, however, pointed out his large juvenile readership and Verne was forced to create an optomistic, if less likely, ending. Myers 33. Taves & Michaluk V016.
Seller: Attic Books (ABAC, ILAB), London, ON, Canada
Verne, Jules. Off on a Comet. Claxton Remsen and Hafffelfinger, Philadelphia, 1878., 1878.
Price: US$1539.21 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: Internal hinges slightly loose. Top & bottom edge spine & corners rubbed. Rear free end paper missing. A bit of wear at the lower edge. Contents slight browning to pages. Lower page edges show minute trace of damp staining. Otherwise clean, tight & unfoxed. Please inquire. Photographs via email. Postage may be increased, please do confirm availability and postage prior to ordering. Under most circumstances we will aim to answer all queries within 48 hours.We look forward to hearing form you and hope that you will find the wonderful book you are looking for.
Seller: Garland Books, Dundee, UK, United Kingdom