The Game
Jack London, 1913
LONDON, Jack (1876-1916). The Game. New York: Macmillan, 1905. [With]: The Abysmal Brute. New York: The Century Co., 1913.

First editions in rare dust jackets. The Game is second issue, with magazine stamp on the copyright page (as are all copies surveyed by Sisson & Martens). Publisher’s leaflet, advertising the present work and eight others, laid in. The Game is London’s tale of prizefighting in the early days and one of London's favorites among his own novels. It is a brutal tale, drawing on London's experience as a sports reporter for the Oakland Herald. The striking front cover depicts Death cutting the thread of life, forming a "shield-like emblem" (Sisson & Martens). Accompanied by The Abysmal Brute, also a hard-knocks boxing tale. First state binding, in yellow and green. Sissons & Martens, p. 24ff and p. 69ff.

Together, 2 volumes. Octavo. Publisher's advertisements at end. The Game: Illustrated with color plates and with art nouveau decorations by Henry Hutt and T.C. Lawrence. Original pictorial cloth stamped in colors (light wear to tips), pictorial endpapers depicting allegorical prize fighters, top edge gilt, dust jacket (some sunning, mostly to spine panel and top edge, minor short fold tears and creasing to top edge). Provenance: Q. Wilder (contemporary ownership inscription to half title). Abysmal Brute: Illustrated with frontispiece after Gordon Grant. Original pictorial cloth stamped in colors (mild tanning and shelfwear to spine); pictorial dust jacket (minor edge-wear including some tiny ships to spine panel ends). Custom morocco-backed clamshell boxes.