About this Item
First printing of the first illustrated edition, published by William Heinemann in October 1905. Illustrated throughout with drawings by Joseph Pennell, including some full-page tissue-guarded plates. The illustrated edition was also published in the USA by Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston in 1905. ***Very good in green cloth-covered boards, with a darker green cloth-covered spine, and gilt titles to the spine. The gilt is still quite bright. The boards are clean and unmarked, just slightly worn and rubbed at the edges, and slightly creased at the head and tail of the spine. Corners just very lightly creased. The bottom edge of the page block is untrimmed. Internally also very good, with just some offsetting to the front and rear free endpapers and some foxing to the preliminaries. No inscriptions. The contents are clean and unmarked. Although heavy art paper has been used in the production, there is no splitting to the binding and the spine is tight. No creases or tears. No dustwrapper. ***210mm x 160mm. 315 pages. ***Contents: Author's note to this edition dated 1905, and then chapters on: London (1888), Browning in Westminster Abbey (1890), Chester (1872), Lichfield and Warwick (1872), North Devon (1872), Wells and Salisbury (1872), An English Easter (1877), London at Midsummer (1877), Two Excursions (1877), In Warwickshire (1877), Abbeys and Castles (1877), English Vignettes (1879), An English New Year (1879), An English Winter Watering-place (1879), Winchelsea, Rye and "Denis Duval", Old Suffolk (1879). ***'Henry James OM (15 April 1843 - 28 February 1916) was an American-British author. He is regarded as a key transitional figure between literary realism and literary modernism, and is considered by many to be among the greatest novelists in the English language. He was the son of theologian Henry James Sr. and the brother of philosopher and psychologist William James and diarist Alice James. He is best known for his novels dealing with the social and marital interplay between émigré Americans, the English, and continental Europeans, such as "The Portrait of a Lady". His later works, such as "The Ambassadors", "The Wings of the Dove" and "The Golden Bowl" were increasingly experimental. In describing the internal states of mind and social dynamics of his characters, James often wrote in a style in which ambiguous or contradictory motives and impressions were overlaid or juxtaposed in the discussion of a character's psyche. For their unique ambiguity, as well as for other aspects of their composition, his late works have been compared to Impressionist painting. His novella "The Turn of the Screw" has garnered a reputation as the most analysed and ambiguous ghost story in the English language and remains his most widely adapted work in other media. He wrote other highly regarded ghost stories, such as "The Jolly Corner". James published articles and books of criticism, travel, biography, autobiography, and plays. Born in the United States, he spent much of his life abroad. James largely relocated to Europe in his thirties, and eventually settled in England, becoming a British citizen in 1915, a year before his death. James was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1911, 1912, and 1916.' (Wiki) ***A first printing of the illustrated edition of "English Hours" by Henry James, in very nice collectable condition. Printed on heavy quality paper and profusely illustrated with drawings by Joseph Pennell. Of interest to collectors of the writing of Henry James, and the artwork of Joseph Pennell. A scarce item in such nice original condition now, and a lovely production. ***For all our books, postage is charged at cost, allowing for packaging: any shipping rates indicated on ABE are an average only: we will reduce the P & P charge where appropriate - please contact us for postal rates for heavier books and sets etc.
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