Books

London: Jonathan Cape, 1963. 1st Edition. Soft cover. Very Good. Uncorrected Proof of this first novel from Fowles. Original printed wrappers from Cape remain bright with just a few minor spots of soiling. The spine shows some creasing with light rubbing along rear joint and at spine ends. Bookplate signed by Fowles in Lyme Regis laid in. Housed in a custom brown clamshell case which is in fine shape.

The Collector is the debut novel of English author John Fowles. It was first published in 1963 by Jonathan Cape and is about a lonely young man, Frederick Clegg, who works as a clerk in a city hall and collects butterflies in his spare time. Clegg is infatuated with Miranda Grey, a middle-class art student at the Slade School of Art. Unable to make any contact with her but obsessed with his unrelenting desire, Clegg decides to add her to his 'collections' by kidnapping her and holding her captive in the cellar of his rural farmhouse. What follows is a chilling exploration of power, art, freedom, and the consequences of human actions.

The first edition of 'The Collector' published by Jonathan Cape in 1963 would have the original dust jacket design and no mention of later printings on the copyright page.