The Waves by Virginia Woolf, 1931 First American Edition in Vanessa Bell Dust Jacket

Virginia Woolf’s experimental novel The Waves moves through the inner lives of six characters in a series of lyrical soliloquies, interspersed with brief seascapes that follow the day from sunrise to evening. This 1931 Harcourt, Brace and Company edition is the first American edition, as stated on the copyright page.

The volume is bound in blue cloth with gilt lettering to the spine and a red top edge. It retains its illustrated dust jacket, designed by Virginia Woolf’s sister, Vanessa Bell, with hand-lettered title and green wave motifs. 

The jacket has age toning, some staining and edge wear(note photos). Binding tight. Clean pages. The cloth boards show some faint scattered marks. The top page edges are red; two small markings are present on the side edges, while the bottom edges are clean and unmarked. A striking copy of Woolf’s landmark novel with its distinctive period jacket.

A compelling copy of Woolf’s modernist landmark, retaining its distinctive dust jacket designed by Vanessa Bell.