Animal Farm: A Fairy Story

London: Secker & Warburg, 1945. Uncorrected Proof. Advance uncorrected proof, issued to reviewers and publishing industry figures before publication of the first edition. 96 pp. Bound in publisher's plain gray wraps. Very Good+ with slightly rolled and cocked spine, minor soiling and light wear, faint crease to front wrap and front free endpaper. Pencil notation on front endpaper of date, "Aug. 26," which was when The Observer's review (by Trewin) was published, as per Fenwick. Housed in a custom slipcase with matching chemise. From the collection of William A. Strutz with a brief catalogue description of this item from the defunct firm House of Books (truncated) in New York City laid in. The truly scarce advance proof of Orwell's biting political satire, much rarer than the American proof that came later. Not listed in Fenwick or Ahearn APG, although Fenwick does mention that Orwell received the page proofs on 31 January 1945 and advance copies had been distributed before publication. Taylor also mentions Orwell perusing proofs of the book in early 1945. The publication history of this novella and its later adaption into film have been examined in great detail by scholars, as seemingly little changes in the story can be said to drastically alter Orwell's message about the nature of totalitarianism and authoritarianism, specifically as they relate to the former USSR. In mid-March of 1945, Orwell wrote to Roger Senhouse (co-owner of Secker & Warburg), "I don't know whether Animal Farm has definitely gone to press. If it has not actually been printed yet, there is one further alteration of one word that I would like to make. In Chapter VIII (I think it is VIII), when the windmill is blown up, I wrote 'all the animals including Napoleon flung themselves on their faces.' I would like to alter it to 'all the animals except Napoleon.' If the book has been printed it's not worth bothering about, but I just thought the alteration would be fair to JS [Joseph Stalin], as he did stay in Moscow during the German advance" (quoted in Fenwick, p. 97). The first edition was published on 17 August 1945, with the line referenced above amended to: "all the animals except Napoleon." In the present advance copy, the line still reads: "The pigeons swirled into the air, and all the animals, Napoleon included, flung themselves flat on their bellies and hid their faces" (p. 73). An elusive, important version of Orwell's classic fable and encomium against authoritarianism. (Inventory #: 140946612)