{"product_id":"the-widow-in-the-bye-street-john-masefield-1st-edition","title":"The Widow in the Bye Street, John Masefield — 1st Edition","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublication:\u003c\/b\u003e London, Sidgwick \u0026amp; Jackson Ltd., 1912\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormatting:\u003c\/b\u003e 8vo, pp. [viii], 97, [1], 6.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition Report:\u003c\/b\u003e Very Good. This first edition presents handsomely in its original red cloth binding, retaining an impressive structural integrity often lost in early twentieth-century volumes. The gilt lettering on both the spine and the front board remains remarkably bright and unoxidised, avoiding the dulling that typically afflicts this edition. While the spine exhibits very mild sunning, the red cloth retains a strong, vibrant hue overall, with sharp corners and negligible shelf-wear. The binding is decidedly tight, and the text block is firm, boasting clean, crisp pages throughout the main body of the poem. However, the condition is tempered by pronounced, rectangular offset browning (ghosting) to the free endpapers, likely the historic result of an acidic insert or dust jacket flap offset, along with mild, uniform age-toning to the untrimmed page edges. Despite these internal flaws, the book remains a highly attractive, secure, and entirely unsophisticated copy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCatalogue Note:\u003c\/b\u003e This is a true first edition of John Masefield’s celebrated narrative poem, issued prior to his appointment as Poet Laureate in 1930. The edition is presented in its primary red cloth binding, complete with the customary six pages of publisher's advertisements bound at the rear, and the verso of the title page correctly notes the Library of Congress copyright entry.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe volume is unillustrated, relying instead on an austere typographic layout characteristic of the period's poetic literature. It is unsigned and devoid of any significant historical provenance, standing as a straightforward, original example of the publication. While copies of this work are relatively accessible on the open market, locating a first printing that retains such vivid gilt tooling and a tight, unskewed binding, free from extensive structural wear—is becoming increasingly uncommon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSet against the gritty backdrop of a rural English town, \u003ci\u003eThe Widow in the Bye Street\u003c\/i\u003e is a tragic and gripping narrative poem that explores the devastating consequences of passion and fate. It tells the poignant story of an impoverished, devoted widow and her son, Jimmy. As Jimmy reaches adulthood, he inevitably falls under the spell of a fickle and manipulative woman, setting off a chain of events that culminates in jealousy, murder, and ultimate heartbreak. Masefield masterfully blends raw realism with the emotional resonance of lyrical poetry, delivering a powerful examination of maternal love and the inescapable tragedies of the working class.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Broadhursts Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54482805195091,"sku":"4020","price":40.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0960\/1469\/6787\/files\/20260729_154404.jpg?v=1785842592","url":"https:\/\/broadhurstsbooks.com\/products\/the-widow-in-the-bye-street-john-masefield-1st-edition","provider":"Broadhursts Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}