Family Sayings, Natalia Ginzburg — 1st UK Edition
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Publication: London, The Hogarth Press, 1967
Formatting: 8vo, pp. 222.
Condition Report: Very Good. The reddish-brown cloth boards are remarkably clean and sharp, free from any significant bumping or shelf-wear, and the gilt tooling on the spine remains exceptionally bright and unoxidised. The binding is firm, square, and tight, holding the text-block securely without any leaning. Internally, the pages are bright and generally clean, with only faint, superficial dusting to the text-block edges and minor age-toning typical of the paper stock. The original pictorial dust jacket is wonderfully preserved within a protective sleeve; it exhibits only very light edge-wear, subtle rubbing to the extremities, and a touch of gentle tanning to the spine panel that does not detract from its overall highly presentable state.
Catalogue Note: First English translation edition, first impression, of Ginzburg's Strega Prize-winning autobiographical masterpiece, originally published in Italy as Lessico famigliare in 1963. The English translation was provided by D. M. Low. This edition was issued by Leonard and Virginia Woolf's esteemed Hogarth Press simultaneously with the American edition by E.P. Dutton.
The text is unillustrated, allowing Ginzburg's masterful linguistic observations to stand alone. The volume is completely devoid of any previous ownership inscriptions, bookplates, or institutional markings, making it an excellent, unmarked collector's copy.
True 1967 Hogarth Press first editions in such an attractive, unsunned dust jacket and with crisp boards have become quite scarce on the open market, as most available copies tend to be much later paperback reprints or heavily worn ex-library stock.
Winner of the prestigious Strega Prize, Family Sayings is Natalia Ginzburg's unsentimental, subtly comic, and deeply moving autobiographical novel chronicling her family's life in Turin from the 1920s to the 1950s. Dominated by the towering, bombastic figure of her father, the renowned anti-fascist scientist Giuseppe Levi, and textured by the private, idiosyncratic language that bound her family together, Ginzburg brilliantly captures the enduring rhythms of domestic life against the encroaching shadows of Mussolini's fascism and the Second World War.
Book Condition: Very Good
Book Authors: Natalia Ginzburg
Book Publisher: The Hogarth Press
Book Language: English
Narrative Type: Fiction
Genre: Modern Fiction
Book edition: First Edition
Signed: No
Book Pages: 222
Book Publication Year: 1967
Book Publication Date:
Book Binding: Hardcover
Illustrator: N/A
Book Series: N/A
Country/region of manufacture: London, United Kingdom
Book Dimensions:
Book Condition Guide
| Condition | Description |
|---|---|
| New | A brand-new, unread and professionally handled book. Carefully preserved from publication to purchase, these books are offered in the best attainable condition. This grade applies to recently published titles that have not entered long-term storage. |
| As New | The book is in pristine, original condition as if just published. No signs of use or handling. The dust jacket (if present) is equally flawless. This grade applies to any book that has remained untouched in storage for years. |
| Fine | The book is close to As New. It remains bright and attractive, but could show minor imperfections to the boards and/or dust jacket (if present). Its pages are typically clean and unmarked. |
| Near Fine | The book has a number of small flaws, i.e. slight rubbing to the edges, or tiny chips or creases to the dust jacket (if present). Its pages may have faint marks, or creases that are barely perceptible — nothing that detracts from their overall condition. |
| Very Good | The book maintains its structural integrity, and has no major flaws such as tears to its binding or pages. It may, however, show signs of careful use, handling, or storage — small marks and creases, light foxing. Its dust jacket (if present) remains fully intact, but small tears may be present. |
| Good | A book that remains intact and readable with complete text pages, but shows moderate signs of wear and use to both the book and dust jacket (if present). It may have noticeable creases, nicks, or stains, and the spine likely shows fading, bumping, and rubbing. There could be writing, underlining, and other marks on some pages, though the majority will be clean and tidy. |
| Fair | A book with significant wear or damage. The text pages will be complete, but there may be heavy underlining, highlighting and staining throughout, and the book’s endpapers, half-title, and copyright pages could be damaged or missing. The binding could be loose, and the dust jacket (if present) may have notable scuffs or tears. These copies are usually of interest for content, signature(s) or scarcity. |
| Poor | A heavily worn book whose value lies in its complete and legible text. A poor book will have substantial defects — loose joints or hinges, detached covers, loose and/or missing pages, and could be heavily soiled. A poor book is also known as a reading copy, and although compromised, can hold historical or bibliographic significance. |
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