D. H. Lawrence — The Man Who Died

London , Heinemann, 1935. Cloth. An first edition thus of The Man Who Died (the alternative title to Lawrence's preferred The Escaped Cock), illustrated by John Farleigh. The novel was originally published as The Escaped Cock in 1929. It was inspired by Lawrence's visit to Etruscan tombs in 1927, and his subsequent reflections upon death and rebirth. It was finished by Lawrence just before his own untimely end. He was in negotiations with a publisher for a general edition, when the title The Man Who Died was suggested. Lawrence originally agreed with the proviso that the original title should be retained as a subtitle. That edition, however, did not materialise. Martin Secker published the next general edition under the new title in 1931, after the author's death. This edition is the first to be published with the beautiful modernist illustrations by John Farleigh. Given Lawrence's inspiration, they appropriately recall the reimagined Minoan art of the same decade. In quarter cloth with marbled paper covered boards and the original unclipped dustwrapper. Externally very smart indeed with slight bumping to the head and tail of the spine and very light marking to the front board only. The dustwrapper is age-toned but otherwise also very smart. It has a single stain to the front. Internally, firmly bound. Pages lightly spotted as usual. Near Fine . Ill.: John Farleigh. Near Fine/Near Fine.