THE DARK

First edition, first printing. Original cream paper wrappers lettered and bordered in black to the front panel. An excellent near fine copy, the wrappers unusually bright and clean, the untrimmed pages a little toned (as usual). Tiny nick to the lower spine tip, with minor creasing to the outer edge of the front panel. A lovely copy.

Andreev (1871-1919) has been described as the father of Russian Expressionist literature. During the early decades of the century he became known to an English-speaking audience primed by the stories of Edgar Allen Poe and the early writings of Freud. He was one of a small number of Russian authors published by Leonard and Virginia Woolf from their home-based Hogarth Press (the others including Dostoevsky, Bunin, and Olyesha). 'The Dark' (a long story or short novella whose protagonist, on the run, takes refuge in a brothel) was issued during a productive period for the press, the same year seeing the publication of two volumes of Freud's writings as well as Woolf's own 'Jacob's Room. In the following year they would publish Eliot's 'The Waste Land' (hand-set by Virginia). 'The Dark', dated 1922, was issued in January 1923. The number of copies printed is not known, but the account book for the press (now held at the University of Sussex) records that 628 copies had been sold by 29 March 1926. (Woolmer 18).