London: T. Fisher Unwin, 1895. First edition. First state, with the type missing in the final two lines of p. 110 (identified as the first state by Cagle). Publisher's dark green cloth with just a bit of shelfwear. Top edge gilt, otherwise untrimmed. Twentieth-century bookplate to upper pastedown. Some toning to endpapers. Front free endpaper neatly excised, otherwise Very Good.

Conrad's first novel set the tone for his literary career, and it has been hailed as a thought-provoking reflection on human nature and the intersection of cultures. Set in turn of the century Borneo, the story depicts the rapid rise and fall of Kaspar Almayer, a Dutch merchant struggling to develop his own trade and suffering an unhappy marriage to a Malayan. It is only Almayer's daughter Nina who brings light to his life, which is largely shaped by greed and prejudice.

Though estimates by Conrad, the publisher, and bibliographers vary, only about 1,000 to 2,000 copies were issued.

Wise 1; Cagle A1a(1). Very Good (Item #7295)