LONDON, Jack

The Game [Original Autograph Manuscript, Signed] offered with A.L.S. to Richard Watson Gilder, editor of the "Century Magazine".

n.p. n.d. Quarto : 119pp. : in half morocco slipcase : Sept. 30, 1904; A.L.S. 2 pages : To R.W. Gilder. Item #15534

The original autograph manuscript of London's ground breaking story about boxing. The manuscript is heavily corrected throughout in London's hand showing considerable evidence of re-writing. The first page is rubber stamped August 31, 1904 and last page signed by the author and dated Sep. 30, 1904, suggesting he took just one month to write the story.

In the letter accompanying the manuscript, London offers the story to Richard Watson Gilder, editor of the "Century Magazine". He describes the story as "a transcript from the life of the western end of my own town, Oakland. And the fight if nothing else, is real."

Gilder declined the story, and it was serialised in Metropolitan Magazine (U.S.) and The Tatler (London), both in April 1905, and then published in book form by Macmillan in June 1905, illustrated by Henry Hutt and decorated by T.C. Lawrence. While it did not reach the spectacular success of Call of the Wild (1903) or The Sea-Wolf (1904), The Game (1905) was the first literary treatment of prize fighting and is credited with starting the genre.

Categorised as a novel in Walker and Sisson (9), in the letter London is adamant that it is not a short story - "This thing somehow just got away with me..." - and refers to it twice as a "transcript from life". He is aware that he is breaking ground, "The prize ring has never been understandingly done into literature - and when it has been attempted, it has been a description of a contest between world champions, by a man who didn't know anything about it."

That Jack London knew something about boxing is well documented. He learned the art of pugilism as a young man and as a sportswriter he covered many fights. He countered charges that the story was "unbelievable" by sending news clippings to his critics to prove that a boxer could smash in the back of his skull by falling to the mat from a hard blow. And he claimed that the lightweight champion of the world, Jimmy Britt, liked the story "on account of its trueness to life" (Book of Jack London, II, 10-11, as quoted in Walker and Sisson, p.13).

Having closely compared the manuscript to the Metropolitan Magazine and first US editions, 91 textual differences have been noted. Most of these are between the manuscript and both print versions. However, there are a number of cases where the Metropolitan Magazine version follows the manuscript and a handful of occasions where all three differ.  One of the most interesting differences is the last line of the manuscript, which was omitted in the print versions.

Provenance: Sotheby's - New York, April 2004 - The Maurice F. Neville Collection. Included at the sale with a signed association copy (see item #15535).
Marjorie Wiggin Prescott (sale, 6 February 1981, lot 230, all except the 1919 reprint)
Unnamed consignor (sale, American Art Association, 11 March 1930, lot 227, manuscript and letter only).

Price: $450,000.00