Three Weeks. New York: Duffield and Company, 1907.
First Edition in dustjacket with '150th Thousand' plug at front panel. Scarce first printing of Glyn's novel about a married and exotic Balkan queen who seduces a young British aristocrat, allegedly inspired by her affair with 16-years junior Lord Alistair Innes Ker, brother of the Duke of Roxburghe, which scandalized Edwardian society. The fact that the pair make love on a tiger-skin rug was more than enough to shock reading audiences and provoke somewhat of a scandal. The liaison produces a son, though because Henrietta is married, she is able to pass the child off as her husband's. On a more conservative note, she devotes the remainder of her life to her son's success. Still, due to the provocative sex scenes, London critics almost universally condemned Three Weeks, with the result that by 1916 the novel had sold more than two million copies and been translated into a number of languages. Basis for the 1924 Goldwyn Picture starring Aileen Pringle and Conrad Nagel. Also the source for a London stage play in 1908 and a silent film in 1914. Mark Twain read Three Weeks and met with Elinor Glyn who later produced a 1908 pamphlet in which Glyn reported on there meeting and what Twain said about her book which was complimentary. A contemporary 1907 printed dustjacket in an exceptional scarcity for this title, having been produced on rather fragile paper stock. We presume the changes from (if there was a first printing jacket) the first jacket would be the addition of some press quotes at the front panel and the addition of the printing statement at front panel. Near Fine, paper rose pasted to front end paper, in Very Good dustjacket, vertical crease at spine.
Price: $750.00