TWAIN, MARK. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Lithographic frontispiece and text illustrations by E.W. Kemble, photographic portrait frontispiece. Small 4to, publisher's pictorial green cloth stamped in black and gilt, light wear to spine tips and corners, head of spine retouched, spine gilt dulled slightly; scattered mild foxing, chiefly to prelims and end matter New York: Charles L. Webster, 1885
first american edition. an excellent copy, with twain's tipped-in signature to front free endpaper. "All modern literature comes from one book by Mark Twain. It's the best book we've had. All American writing comes from that. There was nothing before. There has been nothing as good since" (Ernest Hemingway, The Green Hills of Africa). Early issue points include: frontispiece portrait with tablecloth visible; page [9] with "Decided"; p. [13], illustration caption incorrect and p. 57 ("with the was") all first states; p. 155 state 1(2?) with the final 5 lacking; and p. 283 state 3. BAL 3415; Peter Parley to Penrod, pp. 75-76; MacDonnell, Firsts, vol. 8, no. 7/8, 1998, p. 31.
