Books

Sampson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington. London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington, 1883 8vo., pictorial yellow cloth by the publisher, stunningly blocked to upper board and spine in gilt and colour (brown, black and green) with an image of a crowd of people contemplating a green flash on the horizon; embossed device to lower board; all edges gilt; pale yellow endpapers; illustrated frontis, title vignette by L. Bennett and a further 43 full page engravings by various artists; a beautiful copy, the cloth remaining bright, and for the most part clean; some light rubbing, spine compressions, and bumps/creases to corners; cloth with very marginal darkening in places; prelims with very light spots; light cracking to the gutter at frontis and final page not affecting overall sturdiness of the text block; a superior example of a scarce work. First UK edition, the variant with pale yellow endpapers as opposed to the blue floral ones sometimes found with this work. Issued…

The Green Ray (French: 'Le Rayon vert') is a novel by the French writer Jules Verne, published in 1882. It is a romance novel that centers around a young heroine on a quest to observe a rare natural phenomenon called the green ray. The story explores themes of discernment, love, and the human experience with nature.

For 'The Green Ray', a first edition might be identified by the publisher's name, the original cover design featuring Hetzel's typical ornate red and gold binding, and the date printed on the title page.