The Road to the City, Natalia Ginzburg — 1st Edition

£125.00

The Road to the City, Natalia Ginzburg — 1st Edition

Name: The Road to the City, Natalia Ginzburg — 1st Edition
Brand: Broadhursts Books
SKU: 5831
Price: 125.00 GBP
Availability: InStock

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Publication: London, The Hogarth Press, 1952

Formatting: Crown 8vo, pp. 149.

Condition Report: Near Fine. The publisher's original red cloth binding is remarkably square and tight, featuring sharp corners and only the faintest trace of pushing to the spine ends. The gilt tooling to the spine remains exceptionally bright and entirely unoxidised. Internally, the text block is firmly bound and presents beautifully without prior ownership signatures, though it does exhibit some scattered, mild foxing to the endpapers alongside a touch of light age-toning to the text-block edges. The original, unclipped dust jacket, retaining the 8s. 6d. net price, has been well-preserved, showing expected age-toning and mild foxing primarily restricted to the spine and rear panel. There is minor rubbing and shallow chipping at the head and tail of the spine, but the striking architectural graphic on the front panel remains remarkably crisp and vivid. Included loosely within the preliminary pages is a small, contemporary printed press review snippet.

Catalogue Note: First UK Edition, First Impression. Originally published in Italy in 1942 under a pseudonym to circumvent fascist censorship, The Road to the City was Natalia Ginzburg's debut work. This 1952 Hogarth Press edition marks the first British appearance, printing the title novella alongside The Dry Heart, both translated from the Italian by Frances Frenaye. The volume includes a printed dedication to Ginzburg's first husband, Leone.

It is notably scarce on the open market, particularly in its original dust jacket and in such highly collectible condition. Printed in Great Britain, the jacket design wonderfully complements Ginzburg’s understated yet emotionally incisive prose, fitting perfectly into the mid-century Hogarth Press aesthetic.

Natalia Ginzburg’s remarkable debut explores the quiet tragedies and unspoken resentments of provincial Italian life. In these two novelettes, The Road to the City and The Dry Heart, Ginzburg dissects the illusions of romantic love and the betrayals that fester within domesticity. Through the eyes of young female narrators who find themselves trapped by circumstance, hurried marriages, and societal expectations, Ginzburg crafts a masterclass in minimalist fiction, expressing profound passions and heartbreaks with her signature spare, unsentimental, and devastatingly precise prose.

Book Condition: Near Fine

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: 149

Book Publication Year: 1952

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

We stock thousands of books in a wide range of conditions. To make things clear and to help you know exactly what to expect, Please refer to these condition categories to understand the condition of the book you will receive.

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.