Paris: Les Editions de Minuit 1957. First edition, first issue on “grand papier”, published January 30, 1957. One of 50 copies printed on “velin pur fil du Marais”, this being – fittingly – number 13. Endgame is one of Beckett’s greatest works, the play which he called ‘more inhuman’ than Godot, and which Harold Bloom, in The Western Canon, acclaimed as the greatest dramatic work of the 20th century. Bloom argued that Endgame is a ‘greater yet more savage work than Godot: I cannot think of any other 20th century work of literature composed as late as 1957 that is nearly as original an achievement as Endgame, nor has there been anything since to challenge such originality. Beckett may have foresworn “mastery” as not being possible after Joyce and Proust, but Endgame reaches it’. 8vo, original printed wrappers. An immaculate, unopened copy of this rare issue, preserved in a folding linen box with leather spine.