1996 First Edition of The Bottle Imp by Robert Louis Stevenson — Illustrated

Title: The Bottle Imp
Author: Robert Louis Stevenson (1850 – 1894) — Legendary Scottish Novelist
Illustrator: Jacqueline Mair — Celebrated British Fine Artist & Printmaker
Genre: Children’s Folklore / Pacific & Hawaiian Lore / Gothic Allegories
Edition: First Edition Thus (1996)
Publisher: Clarion Books, New York
Aesthetics: Illustrated dust jacket and blue cloth cover boards; gouache-style tropical layouts.

Originally drafted by Robert Louis Stevenson in 1891 and uniquely debuted in the Samoan language to entertain the islanders he lived among, The Bottle Imp stands as a suspenseful, globally traveled fable. The narrative follows Keawe, a humble Hawaiian man who purchases a mysterious, silver-trimmed glass bottle inhabited by a wish-granting imp. While the vessel can deliver unparalleled wealth, love, and a spectacular palace, it carries a spiritual curse: anyone who dies with the bottle in their possession is condemned to hell. The only escape requires selling the bottle for less than its purchase price, driving a high-stakes countdown as the value spirals down toward a single cent.

Robert Louis Stevenson (1850 – 1894) remains one of the most translated and enduringly influential figures in English literature. Born in Edinburgh to a family of lighthouse engineers, he turned away from the family trade to anchor his life to literature. Battling chronic respiratory disease, his relentless quest for a healing climate led him across the globe, culminating in his settling in Vailima, Samoa, where the locals affectionately named him Tusitala ("Teller of Tales"). His masterworks include Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Jacqueline Mair is a contemporary British painter, printmaker, and textile illustrator whose work bridges cultural fine art with international advocacy. She polished her craft in Fine Art at the University of the West of England and completed postgraduate studies in Printmaking at the Royal College of Art in London. Inspired by traditional European, African, and Latin American folk designs, Mair has applied her graphic talents to humanitarian design campaigns for UNICEF and Save the Children across Colombia and Africa, creating an artistic style defined by raw human texture and narrative warmth.

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Condition: Near Fine/Very Good. Dust jacket: Light shelf wear; light wear along upper edge; top corners lightly bumped; small shallow scratch on the back. Blue cloth cover boards. Pages are clean, undamaged, and complete.