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Franz Kafka. Die Verwandlung. ...
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Sold on Dec 15, 2025 for:
$5,000.00
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Description
Franz Kafka. Die Verwandlung. Leipzig: Kurt Wolff Verlag, [1915].8vo. Publisher's illustrated outer paper wrappers by Ottomar Starke.
FIRST EDITION, wrappers issue. First Issue, without the censor stamp. Die Verwandlung (The Metamorphosis) was written in 1912 and issued by Kurt Wolff as part of the series Der Jüngste Tag (Vol. 22/23) in 1915. Kafka's most famous story, it stands among the central works of twentieth-century literature and is a landmark of supernatural fiction, blending elements of psychological horror and modernist allegory.
The pictorial outer wrappers are dated "1916" as issued. The book was printed in late 1915 and released publicly in early 1916, with both the wrappers issue and the casebound issue dated "1916" on the front panel. Both the casebound and wrappers issue were issued simultaneously, both with the same illustration by Ottomar Starke featured on the front panel.
Condition: Wrappers rebacked, preserving original backstrip; text block not reattached to wrappers, causing quires to be loose, but quires sewn and attached to original chords; rear wrapper flap skillfully reattached and with loss at top fold repaired; wrappers chipped with a few short tears repaired with tape on verso; a few pale stains to rear wrapper flap and panel; text over-opened at a few gatherings; staining to pp. 8-9; a few pale spots to text.
References: Flores, p. 4.
Auction Info
2025 December 15 Rare Books Signature® Auction #6323 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
December, 2025
15th
Monday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 1
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 217
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