Tag: John Austen

Book Edition Reviews, Books

More ‘Daphnis and Chloe’, Two Rare Editions, Illustrations by John Austen and Aristide Maillol

{Ed. Note: In response to the recent Books and Vines article on the outstanding 1934 Limited Editions Club edition of  ‘Daphnis and Chloe‘ Books and Vines contributor Dlphcorcl sent me some comments and pictures of two other rare editions of Daphnis and Chloe. So while Longus is fresh in your mind, here they are!} The ancient Greek tale of Daphnis and Chloe is firmly ensconced in … Continue reading More ‘Daphnis and Chloe’, Two Rare Editions, Illustrations by John Austen and Aristide Maillol

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Book Reviews, Books

The Comedy of Errors, by William Shakespeare, Limited Editions Club (1939)

The Comedy of Errors is William Shakespeare‘s shortest play, and one the earliest written (first performed in 1594, though not published until the First Folio in 1623). The comedy, based entirely on the happenstances occurring when two identical twins that had been separated at birth end up in the same place, interacting with the same sets of people, unbeknownst to all involved. The resulting interplay of attempted seduction, … Continue reading The Comedy of Errors, by William Shakespeare, Limited Editions Club (1939)

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Book Edition Reviews, Books

The Frogs, by Aristophanes, Limited Editions Club (1937)

The great Ancient Greek comedy from Aristophanes, The Frogs, was first performed at one of the Festivals of Dionysus in Athens, in 405 BC, where it received first place. It remains one of the preeminent works of this golden era of human flowering, and it retains its humor and relevance nearly 2,500 years later. With a plot that centers around  Dionysus playing a judge in a contest between  Euripides and Aeschylus for the title … Continue reading The Frogs, by Aristophanes, Limited Editions Club (1937)

Chris T. Adamson3 Comments
Book Edition Reviews, Books

The Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies of William Shakespeare, Limited Editions Club (1939/1940)

William Shakespeare. The mere name puts students around the world into a state of fear and grief, sends conspiracy theorists into excited revelry and draws nervous shame from the masses who have never experienced Shakespeare. Yet, for lovers of literature, especially those who have read and re-read Shakespeare after reaching a mature age, hearing his name excites one’s soul while stimulating intellect, recalling scene after … Continue reading The Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies of William Shakespeare, Limited Editions Club (1939/1940)

Chris T. Adamson32 Comments
Book Edition Reviews, Books

The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane, by Alain-Rene Lesage, Limited Editions Club (1937)

Alain-Rene Lesage (1668-1747) produced a number of novels, plays and adaptations, the best known of which are The Devil Upon Two Sticks (1707), Turcaret (1709), and Gil Blas (1715–1735). A summary of The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane provides an example of the classic definition of what a picaresque novel is.  Gil Blas is born poor. He is educated by his uncle and starts to develop promise for a decent future. This promise goes by the … Continue reading The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane, by Alain-Rene Lesage, Limited Editions Club (1937)

Chris T. Adamson3 Comments
Book Edition Reviews, Books

The Adventures of Harlequin, by Francis Bickley, Selwyn & Blount (1923)

{Ed. Note: This article is from Books and Vines contributor DlphcOracl. A trade edition of the edition highlighted below can often be found for $25-50, making it a nice addition to our Affordable Treasures and Pleasures series}. The Adventures of Harlequin is a tale about a young rogue which takes place in the Northern Italian town of Bergamo, between the Alps and the Lombard Plain. We … Continue reading The Adventures of Harlequin, by Francis Bickley, Selwyn & Blount (1923)

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Book Edition Reviews, Books

The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle, by Tobias Smollett, Limited Editions Club (1935)

Tobias Smollett (1721-1771) was a once famous Scottish author who has largely faded from the Western Canon. His most famous work was The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle, a fictional novel published in 1751 that falls in the ‘picaresque‘ sub-genre, being a satirical set of adventures of an egotistical lower class ‘anti-hero’ who gets by with wits and chance fortune within corrupt 18th century European society (which is … Continue reading The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle, by Tobias Smollett, Limited Editions Club (1935)

Chris T. Adamson6 Comments