Woolf, Virginia (1882-1940). ORLANDO A Biography. , 1928.

Price: US$3450.00 + shipping

Description: Woolf, Virginia (1882-1940) ORLANDO A Biography. New York: Crosby Gaige, 1928. First edition. Limited edition. Np. 671 of 861 copies printed on rag paper and SIGNED by the author in purple ink on verso of the half-title. 8vo, 22.5 x 16 cm. Original black cloth, spine decorated in gilt, publisher's device gilt to front board, top edge gilt, light ubbing to head of spine, awesome light dust soiling including to top of rear board, minor corner bumping, some light toning. Bookplate of Rollin Oliver Glaser to front paste-down, u,.r. corner title page excision to margin only. [Kirkpatrick A11a] The true first edition, preceding the Hogarth Press edition by nine days. Virginia Woolf's "Orlando: A Biography" is a novel first published in 1928. The book is a fictional biography that spans four centuries, tracing the life of the protagonist Orlando, a nobleman who mysteriously transforms into a woman. The novel is often described as a work of feminist and queer literature because it explores issues of gender identity and sexuality. "Orlando" is famous for its experimental form and is considered one of Woolf's most accessible and entertaining works. The novel was groundbreaking in its treatment of gender and has been the subject of various interpretations and academic studies. The book was also notable because it was inspired by Woolf's relationship with Vita Sackville-West, a fellow writer and member of the Bloomsbury Group. Sackville-West's inability to inherit her family estate, Knole House, due to her gender, is thought to have been a significant influence on the novel.

Seller: Adam Weinberger Rare Books, New York, NY, U.S.A.

WOOLF, Virginia.. Orlando. A Biography.. New York: Crosby Gaige, 1928, 1928.

Price: US$9688.18 + shipping

Description: First edition, first printing, number 660 of 800 copies signed by the author in her distinctive purple ink on the half-title verso, from a limited edition of 861 copies. It precedes by nine days the first trade edition, published by the Hogarth Press on 11 October, and thus constitutes the first appearance of this masterpiece of modernist and feminist fiction. Dedicated to Vita Sackville-West, whose androgynous personality inspired the character, the book was described by her son Nigel Nicolson as "the longest love letter in history". Crosby Gaige's publishing firm was a pioneer in publishing modern literature in fine-press editions. Kirkpatrick A11a; see Woolmer 185. Octavo. Original black cloth, spine lettered and decorated in gilt, publisher's device to front cover in gilt, cream endpapers, top edge gilt, others untrimmed. Frontispiece and 7 half-tone photographic illustrations, including 3 of Vita Sackville-West as Orlando. Faint sunning to spine, gilt gently dulled: a near-fine copy.

Seller: Peter Harrington. ABA/ ILAB., London, United Kingdom

Woolf, Virginia. Orlando: A Biography.. Crosby Gaige, New York, 1928.

Price: US$9800.00 + shipping

Description: Signed limited first edition of Woolf’s immensely popular feminist classic, one of only 800 copies signed by her in her characteristic purple ink. Octavo, original publisher's cloth decorated in gilt, top edge gilt, engraved frontispiece portrait of Orlando as a boy, illustrated with engravings. One of 800 copies signed by Woolf on the verso of the half-title page. Typography by Frederic Warde. In fine condition. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box made by the Harcourt Bindery. Easily one of the nicest we have seen. Woolf is considered to be one of the greatest twentieth century novelists and one of the pioneers among modernist writers using stream of consciousness as a narrative device. Following her 1912 marriage to Leonard Woolf, the couple founded the Hogarth Press in 1917, which published much of her work. Arguably one of Woolf's most popular novels, Orlando describes the adventures of a poet who changes sex from man to woman and lives for centuries, meeting the key figures of English literary history. Considered a feminist classic, the book has been written about extensively by scholars of women's writing and gender and transgender studies and has been adapted a number of times for stage and screen.

Seller: Raptis Rare Books, Palm Beach, FL, U.S.A.