The Invisible Man. A Grotesque Romance

London: C. Arthur Pearson Limited. 1897.

Second edition, published the same year as the first and with a variant ending and with the first appearance of the Epilogue. 8vo. 184x120mm. pp. vi, 250. The first page is numbered "2" as with the first edition. The front free endpaper has two small drawings by Wells and the inscription: "Bertie Williams from Bertie Wells". Wells was known as Bertie by his family and, indeed, Williams is a cousin, making this a particularly personal gift. Bound in the original publisher's red cloth, lettered in gilt and with the image of the "invisible man" stamped in black on upper cover. Some soiling and fading to the spine and bumping to head and foot. Boards faded in places and with some slight marking. Internally there is cracking to the hinge with the upper board but the text block is very good although with some toning. Overall a nice copy of a rare book with Wells's drawings and inscription.
The Invisible Man appeared in four distinct editions in 1897: serialised in Pearson's Weekly between June and August, the first edition in book form in September, the second edition in November and then, the same month, the first American edition. All four have a different ending and this second edition contains the Epilogue which Wells had written for the first edition but not included. The second edition is considerably rarer than the first. We have located only one copy, in Trinity College Dublin, and we have traced none at auction.