Books

FIRST TRADE EDITION OF ROCKWELL KENT'S ILLUSTRATED MOBY DICK - THE EDITION THAT MADE MOBY DICK FAMOUS. It may be hard to believe, but for many decades Moby Dick was largely ignored by the public. That began to change in the 1920s, when literary critics began reappraising Melville's work of genius. But the true turning point came in 1926, when Thomas Donnelly of Lakeside Press announced the Four American Books campaign, meant to showcase American writing and printing. William Kittridge, head of design and typography, reached out to Rockwell Kent and asked him to illustrate Richard Henry Dana's Two Years Before the Mast. Kent suggested Moby Dick instead, and the rest was history. In the words of Kittridge, the result was "the greatest book done in this generation" and "the greatest illustrated book ever done in America." Kent's illustrations came out in a large, three-volume limited edition for Lakeside Press, as well as a trade edition for Random House. It was this trade edition that rocketed Moby Dick to fame, and introduced the public to one of the greatest matches between illustrator and subject matter in the history of printing. Kent saw his ink and wash illustrations as "literary woodcutting," jet-black doorways into the "midnight darkness enveloping human existence, the darkness of the human soul, the abyss, - such is the mood of Moby-Dick." Although the two never met, Kent and Melville had a great deal in common. Both were deeply influenced by transcendentalist thinkers like Emerson; both were adventurers who voyaged to exotic lands and chronicled their travels. Perhaps it was this kinship that explains the success of Kent's illustrations. Less bulky than the limited edition, the beautifully designed 1930 Random House trade edition offered people an eminently readable way to experience this remarkable union of literary and artistic genius. New York: Random House, 1930. Thick octavo, original decorated cloth, original dust jacket. Book fine, with cloth exceptionally bright; dust jacket with very minor tape reinforcement to two spots on verso of rear panel, with crease visible on recto; light general wear and a few very faint spots of dampstaining on front panel. An exceptionally beautiful copy of a book that is notoriously difficult to find in good condition. Original cloth, original dust jacket.

"Moby-Dick; or, The Whale," penned by Herman Melville in 1851, stands as a monumental work in American literature, melding adventure, philosophical inquiry, and deep symbolism. At its core, the novel narrates the obsessive quest of Captain Ahab, the monomaniacal commander of the whaling ship Pequod, to exact vengeance on Moby Dick, a gargantuan white sperm whale. Ahab's pursuit of the elusive leviathan, which had previously maimed him, becomes a profound exploration of ambition, madness, and humanity's struggle against the unfathomable forces of nature. The story is recounted by Ishmael, a sailor aboard the Pequod, who serves not only as a narrator but also as a philosophical observer, pondering the mysteries of existence and the interconnectedness of mankind and the natural world. The narrative weaves together Ishmael's reflections, the diverse tales of the ship's crew, and detailed expositions on whaling, creating a rich tapestry that transcends the conventions of its adventure story framework. "Moby-Dick" is celebrated for its ambitious scope, intricate symbolism, and the complexity of its themes. Melville's use of language is both grandiose and penetrating, capable of shifting from technical descriptions of whaling to eloquent meditations on the human condition. The novel's famous opening line, "Call me Ishmael," signals the beginning of a journey not just across the seas but into the depths of the soul and the paradoxes of existence. The fame of "Moby-Dick" lies not only in its narrative audacity but in its capacity to provoke endless interpretation. Ahab's quest against Moby Dick has been read as an allegory for the hubris of man, the inscrutability of fate, and the eternal battle against nature's indomitable will. Over time, the novel has transcended its initial lukewarm reception to become a cornerstone of American literature, revered for its profound insights into the human psyche and the darkness and light that reside within the human heart.