L. W. Currey, Inc.

Roberts, Charles G[eorge] D[ouglas]. JIM: THE STORY OF A BACKWOODS POLICE DOG. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1919. Octavo, pp. [1-4] 5 [6-8] 9-216 [217-222: ads] [223-224: blank] [note: last leaf is a blank], original pictorial olive green cloth, front and spine panels stamped in light brown, black and white. First U.S. edition. In addition to the short novel "Jim," the book contains three other animal stories: "The Eagle" and "The Mule" (both with World War I settings) and "Stripes the Unconcerned" (about a skunk). "Roberts' stories about animals (mostly wildlife, but often domesticated dogs as well) are based on his close observation of them, and also on his sure sense of drama. He broke ground by avoiding sentimental and melodramatic approaches. While he shows the reasoning and emotions of animals so successfully that they seem like full-bodied fictional characters, there is nothing anthropomorphic (or fantastic) about his work. On the contrary, it embodies a greater realism than his subject had customarily received. This development was of a piece with the wave of 'realism' that swept over English-speaking writers in the 1890s. Roberts' stories are exciting; but how could his subject (life in the wild) yield anything else? That's the response we're led to, for the artist covers his tracks and camouflages his artistry so that all the reader sees is the action of the story, not the telling of it, which is performed (fittingly) in a very natural manner. Most of his 'characters' are predators (and prey); all of them live a dangerous, violent life; some of his stories could fit into a horror anthology. The artist's cunning, disguised as modesty, may have contributed to the neglect he has received since his heyday (1890s-1910s). These are not stories for children but for readers who appreciate sharply drawn characters, rich atmosphere, and striking action, all set forth against the somber backdrop of mortality. Underlying the flash of tooth and claw, fur and feather, is a thematic gravity that also draws humanity into the orbit of nature." -- Robert Eldridge. Delicate white enamel lettering mostly perished from front panel and totally gone from spine, top edge of text block dusty, corners of some pages bumped, else a very good copy. (#115644).

Price: $25.00