The Lost Stradivarius by J. Meade Falkner (First Edition) 1895 Slightly leaned with worn spine ends. Half-inch tear to spine bottom and shorter tears and a chip to spine top. Owner's 1918 Christmas gift inscription to ffe. Some foxing to the blank sides of the front and back free endpapers. A few faint dampstains to the last few pages of the catalogue. Author's first book. Early printing of the First Edition. Printing code "1/96" on last page of the Catalogue (32 pages) at rear. Dark blue cloth, spine lettered gilt, pictorial stamping in blind to spine and cover. Floral patterned brown endsheets. 296pp. Scarce. Preceding M. R. James's ghost stories by several years, it has been called the novel James might have written, had he written novels.