That Nice Young Couple
New York: Boni and Liveright, 1925. First edition. 8vo, 383pp; cloth. Fine in a bright dust jacket, spine faded ever so slightly, and with just a touch of shallow chipping to the spine ends, tiny snag at rear hinge. Item #205046
An exceptional copy of the author's first novel. Known as a journalist and cultural critic, Hackett was at work on his long-awaited biography of Henry VIII, which publisher Horace Liveright was counting on as a much-needed money-maker for his struggling firm. After long delays, Hackett submitted the manuscript for this novel instead. Liveright was unhappy and did not think much of the book. It is not likely that under the circumstances he produced a large number of copies, and indeed it is quite scarce, especially in dust jacket. The back panel of the jacket prints Liveright's promotion of the forthcoming book: "Francis Hackett has been engaged for several years upon a biography of Henry the Eighth. From what has already been seen of it, the work is likely to become one of the most important biographies of our time. We hope to be able to present the book before the close of the year". Liveright was unable to present the book until 1929.
Price: $345.00