Author: Wells, H. G. (Herbert George), 1866-1946.

Title: Dr. Moreaus Insel / H. G. Wells ; vom Autor genehmigte deutsche Ubertragung von Felix Paul Greve. --

Published: Minden (Westf.) : J.C.C. Bruns' Verlag, [ca.1912, c1904].

Description: iv, 220 p. : ill ; 18.5 cm. --

Note:
Verso of tp & opposite toc: "Doktor Moreaus Insel bildet den 14. Band der Meisterwerke der Weltliteratur." [Note: this dates this ed. to to post-1912, when the series was started]. --

[Advertisement: two other Wells titles, & two more as forthcoming]. --

"Der vorliegende Band wurde gedruckt und gebunden bei J.C.C. Bruns, Minden in Westfalen." --

Opposite the title page of RBR's copy, there is the same advertisement than in the original 1904 publication, as a comparison with the original edition held at Urbana ascertains. As the addition of the series title indicates, our copy is a later printing on shorter paper, the orig. ed. measuring 19.5 cm rather than 18.5 cm. -- The title page is identical, but the title on the cover is in ornate gothic type. The original cover-title of the Urbana copy has an ornate floral frame, but the same clear font type of the tp. -- Our copy is bound in yellow cardboard, while Urbana's was bound in red linen. -- The table of contents is at the front in both copies, & the text is obviously from the same printing stock. -- Across the t of c, the two previously issued 1904 translations are advertised as published, while the german versions of "The First Men in the Moon" (Newnes, 1901) & "When the Sleeper Wakes" (Harper, 1899) are announced as forthcoming.

Contents:
Inhalt, p. [iii]: Einleitung [by the fictitious editor, Chas. Edw. Prendick, who publishes his oncle's narrative]. -- I. Im kleinen Boot der Lady Vain. II. Der Mann, der nirgends hinging. -- III. Das unheimliche Gesicht. --- IV. Am Schiffsbord des Schoners. -- V. Der Mann, der nicht wusste, wohin gehen. -- VI. Die verdachtigen Bootsleute. -- VII. Die verschlossene Tur. -- VIII. Der Schrei des Puma. -- IX. Das Wesen im Walde. -- X. Der Schrei des Menschen. -- XI. Die Jagd auf den Menschen. -- XII. Die Sprecher des Gesetzes. -- XIII. Eine Unterhandlung. -- XIV. Doktor Moreau erklart. -- XV. Uber das Tiervolk. -- XVI. Wie das Tiervolk Blut kostete. -- XVII. Eine Katastrophe. -- XVIII. Moreaus Auffindung. -- XIX. Montgomery's Feiertag. -- XX. Mit dem Tiervolk allein. -- XXI. Die Verwilderung des Tiervolks. -- XXII. Der Mensch allein [signed at the end on p. 220 with the narrator's name, Edward Prendick].

Annotation: See also the H. G. Wells Folder in Mss 12, Box 1 (FPG Documents): it contains photocopies of prefatory materials of all six of Greve's Wells translations into German. Several of these were autographed or had dated prefaces with information about Greve's where-abouts and activities in his post-prison time, 1904-1906. -- The photocopies with these invaluable pointers contained on the six title pages, prefaces, advertisements, etc. were obtained from the Urbana-Champaign H. G. Wells Collection in January 1991. -- For further information see the Translations Section on the FPG & FrL Website at http://www.umanitoba.ca/libraries/units/archives/collections/fpg/
"Dr. Moreaus Insel" (orig. "The island of Doctor Moreau", Heinemann, 1896) was the third of Greve's initial three Wells translations in 1904, the first two being "Die Riesen kommen!" & "Die Zeitmaschine". -- Greve likely started working on these three initial books while in Bonn prison in 1903/1904. -- Urbana has correspondence indicating that Greve negotiated translation rights for them from prison in November, 1903, giving his address simply as "Wilhelmstrasse 19, Bonn". -- Exactly a year later, Greve sent copies of "Die Riesen kommen!" (orig. "Food of the Gods", Macmillan, 1904), "Die Zeitmaschine" (orig. "The Time Machine", Heinemann, 1895) & "Dr. Moreaus Insel" (orig. "The Island of Doctor Moreau", 1896, Heinemann) to H. G. Wells with the following mss. dedication note on the title page of "Riesen" (it accounted for all three books):
"Dear Mr. Wells, / May I send you the three first volumes of / this new edition of your works as a sign of / my profound admiration? / Yours very truly / F. P. Greve / Wollerau, November, 1904." --
Opposite the title page of RBR's copy, there is the same advertisement than in the original 1904 publication, as a comparison with the original edition held at Urbana ascertains. As the addition of the series title indicates, our copy is a later printing on shorter paper, the orig. ed. measuring 19.5 cm rather than 18.5 cm. -- The title page is identical, but the title on the cover is in ornate gothic type. -- The original cover-title of the Urbana copy has an ornate floral frame, but a clear font type. -- Our copy is bound in yellow cloth, while Urbana's was bound in grey linen. -- The table of contents is at the front in both copies, & the text stems obviously from the same printing stock. -- Across the t of c, the two previous 1904 translations are advertised as published, while "The First Men in the Moon" orig. ed., (Newnes, 1901) & "When the Sleeper Wakes" (orig.ed., Harper, 1899) are announced as forthcoming.

Local Note: Acquired for RBR with FPG (Greve/ Grove) Endowment Fund in 2003, via the ZVAB website.