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The Happy Prince and Other Tales.: Illustrated by Walter Crane and Jacomb Hood.
by WILDE, Oscar
- Used
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
London, United Kingdom
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
London: David Nutt,, 1888. If you want a red rose... you must build it out of music by moonlight, and stain it with your own heart's-blood First edition of Wilde's first and best-known collection of children's stories, including "The Selfish Giant", "The Nightingale and the Rose", "The Devoted Friend", and "The Remarkable Rocket". Wilde's "reputation as an author dated from the publication of the Happy Prince and Other Tales in London in May 1888. The Athenaeum compared him to Hans Christian Andersen, and Pater wrote to say that 'The Selfish Giant' was 'perfect in its kind,' and the whole book written in 'pure English' - a wonderful compliment" (Ellmann, p. 282). Small quarto. Original cream paper-covered boards, spine lettered in black, front cover lettered in red with vignette design in black and publisher's device in red. Frontispiece, with tissue guard, and 2 plates by Walter Crane, 12 head- and tailpieces by Jacomb Hood. Head of spine lightly worn, boards rubbed, a couple of bumps to extremities, short split to front inner hinge, endpapers and outer leaves lightly foxed, contents otherwise clean and unmarked. A very good copy of this fragile production. Mason 313 ("1,000 copies"). Richard Ellmann, Oscar Wilde, 1987.
Synopsis
This captivating collection contains all nine of Wilde's charming, sensitive stories for young readers. Included are The Happy Prince," a tale of a young nobleman who in his lifetime sought only pleasure, but in death, as a gold-encrusted statue, provides aid to the needy; "The Selfish Giant," in which children are prohibited from playing in the garden of an unfeeling colossus; and "The Star-Child," the tale of a beautiful boy whose ugly spirit causes his physical appearance to become equally grotesque. Also here are "The Nightingale and the Rose," "The Birthday of the Infanta," "The Remarkable Rocket," "The Devoted Friend," "The Young King," and "The Fisherman and His Soul."
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Details
- Bookseller
- Peter Harrington
(GB)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 170816
- Title
- The Happy Prince and Other Tales.
- Author
- WILDE, Oscar
- Book Condition
- Used
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Place of Publication
- London: David Nutt,
- Date Published
- 1888
Terms of Sale
Peter Harrington
All major credit cards are accepted. Both UK pounds and US dollars (exchange rate to be agreed) accepted. Books may be returned within 14 days of receipt for any reason, please notify first of returned goods.
About the Seller
Peter Harrington
Biblio member since 2006
London
About Peter Harrington
Since its establishment, Peter Harrington has specialised in sourcing, selling and buying the finest quality original first editions, signed, rare and antiquarian books, fine bindings and library sets. Peter Harrington first began selling rare books from the Chelsea Antiques Market on London's King's Road. For the past twenty years the business has been run by Pom Harrington, Peter's son.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Device
- Especially for older books, a printer's device refers to an identifying mark, also sometimes called a printer's mark, on the...
- Vignette
- A decorative design or illustration placed at the beginning or end of a ...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- Bumps
- Indicates that the affected part of the book has been impacted in such a way so as to cause a flattening, indention, or light...
- Leaves
- Very generally, "leaves" refers to the pages of a book, as in the common phrase, "loose-leaf pages." A leaf is a single sheet...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Quarto
- The term quarto is used to describe a page or book size. A printed sheet is made with four pages of text on each side, and the...
- Hinge
- The portion of the book closest to the spine that allows the book to be opened and closed.
- Foxed
- Foxing is the age related browning, or brown-yellowish spots, that can occur to book paper over time. When this aging process...
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