Published by Faber & Faber, London; 1980. 8vo 278pp. First edition, first impression. Condition: Fine/Near Fine
Bound in original green cloth boards with title in gilt to the spine. The binding is square and tight and in excellent condition, with no marks or damage to note. Inside, the pages are clean and bright, free from blemishes and wear, asides from a touch of spotting to the edges.
The book is housed in its original, first issue dust jacket illustrated by Cathie Felstead. It is vibrant and bright and in very smart condition, with just some fading to the spine.
In all, this is a lovely example of this Booker Prize winner by William Golding. It was the first book in his sea trilogy, To the Ends of the Earth, describing an eighteenth-century sea voyage to Australia. It explores themes of class and man's reversion to savagery when isolated, in this case, the closed society of the ship's passengers and crew. It was adapted into a mini drama series on BBC in 2005 directed by David Attwood and starring Benedict Cumberbatch. The novel is written in the form of the journal of Edmund Talbot, a young aristocrat, who passes his time on the voyage by observing and writing the other passengers and becomes concerned by the downfall of passenger Reverend Robert Colley. This is an excellent example of this first edition and would complement any collection.