THE WAY OF ALL FLESH Easton Press
by Samuel Butler
- Used
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
Pomona, New York, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Synopsis
The Way of All Flesh by Samuel Butler is a semi-autobiographical novel that attacks Victorian-era hypocrisy. The story traces the history of the Pontifex family from the early eighteenth century until about 1880 and focuses, for the most part, on the life of young Ernest Pontifex, the novel’s protagonist. Yet Ernest isn’t born until 1835, in the book’s 17th chapter. Butler uses the first 16 chapters to provide a psychological portrait of the Pontifex family background as a means of allowing readers to understand what factors have gone into forming Ernest’s personality and the longevity of the chains of tradition he must break. Upon publication in 1903, the book seemed very much of its time, an early 20th century groundbreaker alongside the work of Sigmund Freud and Pablo Picasso. The Way of All Flesh seemed to celebrate the end of the Victorian age just as it was decidedly over. But in fact, Butler had written the book decades earlier, between 1873 and 1884, though he deemed it too shocking for publication during his lifetime. As a result, Richard Alexander Streatfeild, a friend of Butler’s, arranged the publication — as the author requested of him — a year after his death. Streatfeild proved to be a good friend indeed as The Way of All Flesh was ranked twelfth on the Modern Library’s list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century.
Read More: Identifying first editions of THE WAY OF ALL FLESH Easton Press
Reviews
(Log in or Create an Account first!)
Details
- Bookseller
- Rare Book Cellar (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 108147
- Title
- THE WAY OF ALL FLESH Easton Press
- Author
- Samuel Butler
- Format/Binding
- Hardcover
- Book Condition
- Used
- Edition
- First Edition; First Printing
- Publisher
- Easton Press
- Place of Publication
- Norwalk, Connecticut
- Date Published
- 1980
Terms of Sale
Rare Book Cellar
Payment Methods Accepted Personal Checks, Cashiers Checks, Money Orders, Visa, MasterCard, AMEX and Discover card through PayPal.com Shipping and Refunds All items are shipped though the United States Postal Service. All items are returnable, within 10 days of receipt if not as described. If you have any special requests, questions or comments please feel free to contact us. Via Email: Info@rarebookcellar.com Via Phone: 845-512-8229
About the Seller
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes: