The Sacred Fount

London, England: MacMillan & Company , Ltd.. Very Good-. 1923. Hardcover. Very Good-: shows moderate wear to the extremities with exposure of the underlying board starting at the corner tips; mild rubbing to the panels and somewhat heavier to the backstrip (hint of sun-blanching as well has renedered the gilt titles at the backstrip somewhat muted, but remaining easily legible) ; a thin line of loss to chipping at the head of the backstrip; the text pages have tanned lightly, due to aging; the binding is square and secure; the text is clean. Free of creased or dog-eared pages in the text. Free of any underlining, hi-lighting or marginalia or marks in the text. Free of any ownership names, dates, addresses, notations, inscriptions, stamps, plates, or labels. A handsome reading copy, structurally sound and tightly bound, showing moderate wear and minor cosmetic flaws. NOT a Remainder, Book-Club, or Ex-Library. 8vo. (7.75 x 5.35 x 1.25 inches) . Language: English. Weight: 17.6 ounces. Dark navy blue cloth over boards with gilt-stamped titles at the back strip and a floral embossed series logo at the front panel. First published in 1901; this printing published in 1923. Hardback: Lacks DJ. The Sacred Fount is a novel by Henry James, first published in 1901. The book follows an unnamed narrator at a weekend party in the English countryside as he attempts to discover the truth about the love lives of his fellow guests. The Sacred Fount is the only one of James's novels written in first person. Ezra Pound, in his 1934 book ABC of Reading wrote: "When you have read James' prefaces and twenty of his novels, you would do well to read The Sacred Fount. There for perhaps the first time since 1300 a writer has been able to deal with a sort of content wherewith Cavalcanti had been 'concerned'. In Donna Leon's third Guido Brunetti detective novel, 'Dressed for Death' - also published under the title of 'The Anonymous Venetian' , the character Paola says to Guido: "I'm reading the master. The Sacred Fount is wonderful. Nothing happens, absolutely nothing..." Later in the conversation, she states: "I'm already eager to finish it so that I can begin it all over again immediately." 'The Sacred Fount' (along with three other late-period works by James: 'The Awkward Age,' 'The Ambassadors', and 'The Golden Bowl') is one of his four most brilliant and important novels. Dazzling, engrossing, and consciousness-altering. ; The Novels and Stories of Henry James; Small 8vo 7½" - 8" tall; 249 pages .