{
  "full": "\n**W. SOMERSET MAUGHAM. OF HUMAN BONDAGE. 1930– . (ML 176)**  \n\n#### 199.1a. First printing (1930)  \n\n[within double rules] OF | HUMAN BONDAGE | [rule] | BY | W. SOMERSET MAUGHAM | [rule] | [torchbearer A2] | [rule] | BENNETT A. CERF : DONALD S. KLOPFER | THE MODERN LIBRARY | PUBLISHERS : NEW YORK  \n\nPp. [*6*], [1] 2–766. [1–23]16 [24]16(16+1.2)  \n\n[*1*] half title; [*2*] pub. note D5; [*3*] title; [*4*] *Copyright,* 1915, *by the* GEORGE F. DORAN CO. | [short double rule] | *First Modern Library Edition* | 1930; [*5*] fly title; [*6*] blank; [1]–766 text. *Note:* Pp. 763–766 are an inserted fold.  \n\n*Jacket A:* Uniform typographic jacket E with lettering and borders in black on moderate reddish orange (37) paper. (*Fall 1930*)  \n\n> Front flap: 
 The history of W. Somerset Maugham’s masterpiece is a significant commentary on the changing and maturing taste in fiction. When it appeared in 1915, a few discerning critics hailed it as one of the first important novels of the twentieth century. For several years the public remained apathetic and the book almost suffered the fate of the casual novel. But its loyal champions fought to save it from oblivion. Today, no more popular novel exists in the English language. It has been one of the two best sellers in the entire Modern Library series for the last three years. (*Fall 1933*)  \n\n*Jacket B:* As jacket A except on coated light yellow (86) paper. (*Fall 1939*)  \n\nOriginally published in U.S. by George H. Doran Co., 1915, and from 1927 by Doubleday, Doran & Co. ML edition (pp. [*5*]–766) printed from Doubleday, Doran plates made from a new typesetting. Published September 1930. *WR* 18 October 1930. First printing: 15,000 copies.  \n\nCerf and Klopfer secured reprint rights in spring 1930 to four long-sought Doubleday titles—*Of Human Bondage*, Walpole’s *Fortitude* (201), Huxley’s *Point Counter Point* (203), and Bennett’s *Old Wives’ Tale* (207)—as part of a deal to buy the Sun Dial Library from Garden City Publishing Co., the Doubleday reprint subsidiary. The ML paid a \\$6,000 advance for *Of Human Bondage* and agreed to pay royalties of 12 cents a copy for each of the four titles, two cents more than it was then paying for any title with the exception of Dreiser’s *Twelve Men* (159). All four were added to the ML between September 1930 and January 1931. Doubleday’s new plates *Of Human Bondage* were originally intended for the ML’s exclusive use, but they were used for a printing by Garden City Publishing Co. around 1933.  \n\nIn April 1968 the royalty increased from 12 cents a copy to 10 percent of the list price, which was then \\$2.45. Royalties on the Vintage paperback edition increased to 15 percent of the list price. RH paid a \\$30,000 advance against royalties for both editions. A third of the total was paid on signing, with subsequent payments of \\$10,000 due on1 January 1969 and 1 January 1970.  \n\nIn 1968 the ML considered transferring *Of Human Bondage* to the Giants series, which would have involved photographing the book and making new plates. In the end it was decided to leave it in the regular ML.  \n\n*Of Human Bondage* was one of the ML’s perennial best-selling titles. It ranked eighth in terms of sales in 1930 despite its fall publication date, moved up to second place during the first six months of 1931 (RH box 117, Publicity file), and appears to have been in first place in 1934. Cerf reported sales for its first five years in the series as follows: 12,281 copies; 15,818 copies; 9,091 copies; 9,974 copies; and 11,277 copies (the figures appear to be for twelve-month periods but not calendar years). He indicated later that over 80,000 copies had been sold by the end of 1938 (Cerf to Kenneth Roberts, 23 November 1938; Cerf to Robert Lamont, Atlantic Monthly Press, 26 May 1939). During the 18-month period May 1942–October 1943 *Of Human Bondage* sold 18,505 copies, making it the best-selling title in the regular ML and the fourth best-selling title in the series as a whole. It sold 1,500 more copies than Dostoyevsky’s *Crime and Punishment* (228), then the second best-selling title in the regular series. By the 12-month period November 1951–October 1952 it was the ML’s best-selling title with sales of 11,563 copies.  \n\n#### 199.1b. Title page reset (c. 1940)  \n\n[torchbearer E3] | [5-line title and statement of responsibility within single rules] OF HUMAN | BONDAGE | BY | W. SOMERSET | MAUGHAM | [below frame] THE MODERN LIBRARY · NEW YORK  \n\nPp. [*6*], [1–2] 3–766. [1–23]16 [24]16(16+1.2)  \n\nContents as 199.1a except: [*2*] blank; [*4*] COPYRIGHT, 1915, BY GEORGE H. DORAN CO. *Note:* Page numeral “2” removed from plates; pp. 733‑766 are an inserted fold.  \n\n> *Variant:* Pp. [*6*], [1–2] 3–766 [767–778]. [1–24]16 [25]8. Contents as 199.1b except: [767–772] ML list; [773–774] ML Giants list; [775–776] blank. (*Fall 1944*)  \n\n*Jacket:* Pictorial in vivid reddish orange (34) and black on coated white paper depicting a man in hat with London buildings in the background and sky in shades of vivid reddish orange; author and title in black against vivid reddish orange background, series in vivid reddish orange at foot. \n\n> Front flap as 199.1a. (*Spring 1941*)  \n\n#### 199.2. Text reset (1946)  \n\nOF HUMAN | BONDAGE | BY | W. SOMERSET | MAUGHAM | [torchbearer D4 at right; 3-line imprint at left] THE | MODERN LIBRARY | NEW YORK | [rule]  \n\nPp. [*4*], [1–2] 3–760 [761–764]. [1–24]16  \n\n[*1*] half title; [*2*] blank; [*3*] title; [*4*] COPYRIGHT, 1915, BY GEORGE H. DORAN CO.; [1] fly title; [2] blank; 3–760 text; [761–764] blank.  \n\n> *Variant:* Pagination as 199.2. [1]16 [2–12]32 [13]16. Contents as 199.2 except: [*4*] COPYRIGHT, 1915, BY GEORGE H. DORAN CO. | RENEWED, 1942, BY W. SOMERSET MAUGHAM; [761–762] ML Giants list; [763–764] blank. (*Spring 1963*)  \n\n*Jacket:* As 199.1b. (*Spring 1946*) \n\n> Front flap reset with last sentence removed. (*Fall 1957*)  \n\nThe plates for *Of Human Bondage* and Maugham’s *Moon and Sixpence* (283) were becoming worn by 1944 and Haas decided to make new plates for both titles. Freiman contacted Doubleday, Doran to determine whether it was willing to supply new plates or at least pay part of the cost (Freiman memo to Haas, 13 November 1944). Doubleday, Doran agreed to reset and make new plates for both titles at its own expense as long as the ML agreed to keep them in print and promote them aggressively for at least ten years (Cedric R. Crowell, Doubleday, Doran, to Commins, 2 January 1945). The new plates were delivered to the ML’s printers in December 1945. The ML instructed Parkway Printing Co. to dispose of the old plates and use the new ones for all future printings (Regina Spirito to Bill Simon, Parkway Printing, 13 December 1945).  \n\n#### 199.3a. Text reset; offset printing (1966/67)  \n\nOF HUMAN | BONDAGE | [double rule] | by | W. Somerset Maugham | [torchbearer J] | THE MODERN LIBRARY | NEW YORK  \n\nPp. [*6*], 1–684 [685–698]. [1]16 [2–11]32 [12]16  \n\n[*1*] half title; [*2*] blank; [*3*] title; [*4*] Copyright, 1915 by Doubleday & Company, Inc. | Renewed, 1942 by W. Somerset Maugham; [*5*] fly title; [*6*] blank; 1–684 text; [685–692] ML list; [693–694] ML Giants list; [695–698] blank. (*Fall 1966*) *Note:* Fall 1966 lists were retained in subsequent printings.  \n\n*Jacket:* Fujita non-pictorial jacket on coated white paper with lettering in vivid yellowish green (129), deep reddish purple (238) and black, all against white background.  \n\n> Front flap: 
 *Of Human Bondage* has remained one of the most popular novels in the English language since its original publication in 1915. Its description of the impact of the British public school system on the growth of an individual is still a definitive one. The torment of a young man involved in an obsessive and destructive love is delineated with compassion and insight, making this one of the most intelligent and important statements on the process of self-discovery. Maugham’s gift as a storyteller has never been more clearly demonstrated.  \n\nIn April 1968, when the list price was \\$2.45, the ML increased the royalty rate from 12 cents a copy to 10 percent of the list price. The new reprint contract also called for a 15 percent royalty on the Vintage paperback edition and a \\$30,000 advance against royalties for both editions. Even with the higher royalty *Of Human Bondage* remained a profitable title for the ML (John J. Simon, memo to Tony Wimpfeimer, 14 May 1968).  \n\n#### 199.3b. Title page with Fujita torchbearer; 7½ inch format (1969/70)  \n\nTitle as 199.3a except line 6: [torchbearer K].  \n\nPagination as 199.3a. [1–22]16  \n\nContents as 199.3a.  \n\n*Jacket:* Enlarged version of 199.3a.  \n\nAlso in the Modern Library  \nMaugham, *Moon and Sixpence* (1935–1971) 283  \nMaugham, *Cakes and Ale* (1950–1970) 428  \nMaugham, *Best Short Stories* (1957– ) 491  \n\n",
  "id": "199",
  "year": "1930",
  "label": "W. SOMERSET MAUGHAM. OF HUMAN BONDAGE. 1930– . (ML 176)",
  "author": "W. SOMERSET MAUGHAM",
  "title": "OF HUMAN BONDAGE.",
  "date": "1930– .",
  "something": "ML 176",
  "revisions": [],
  "type": "book"
}