Description
Signed first edition of Books and Characters by Lytton Strachey, in the publisher’s scarce dust jacket.
Octavo, [8], 306pp, [2]. Green cloth, title on label affixed to spine. No additional printings noted. Foxing and dust along top edge of text block, internally clean. Solid text block. Booksellers label on rear paste down. Bookplate and ownership inscription on front endpapers. Complete with five full page lithographs, including the frontispiece portrait. In the publisher’s first state dust jacket, bright illustrations, text in green over paper boards, archival repair to verso at spine, a near fine example.
Signed on the front free endpaper by Lytton Strachey.
Lytton Strachey (1880-1932), was a founding member of the Bloomsbury Group, and is remembered for his groundbreaking works in biography and literary criticism. His seminal biographies, including “Eminent Victorians” (1918) and “Queen Victoria” (1921), revolutionized the genre by introducing a novel style characterized by wit, irreverence, and psychological insight. “Eminent Victorians” dissected the lives of notable figures from the Victorian era, offering a candid and often satirical portrayal that shattered prevailing myths and exposed the complexities of their characters.
Similarly, “Queen Victoria” provided a nuanced examination of the iconic monarch, challenging conventional perceptions and shedding light on her personal struggles and political influence. This work, Books and Characters, is an in-depth history of English and French literature, with an emphasis on Racine, Shakespeare, and Rousseau.
