About this Item
First edition, first printing - first published in English in 1948, this was the first complete study of the life and work of Adalbert Stifter to appear in English. With a frontispiece portrait of Adalbert Stifter.
***A very good example in brown cloth-covered boards, with gilt titles on the spine. The boards show some marks and rubbing commensurate with age and handling over the last 75+ years, but are generally clean, with no significant faults. The edges and the corner tips of the boards are slightly rubbed, with slight creasing to the top corner tips. Head and tail of spine slightly rubbed and creased. Slight reading lean to the binding but no reading creases to the spine. There is no foxing to the page block edges, but there is some browning and staining to the top edge. Internally also very good with no previous ownership marks. There is no off-setting to the endpapers and no foxing to the interior pages. Pages clean. No creases or tears. There is no obvious weakness to the gutters between gatherings, and no splitting - the binding is firm. The paper stock used is of a nice quality.
***In a very good plain printed dustwrapper, which is virtually complete, but with some loss at the head of the spine - not affecting the lettering. The dustwrapper has not been price-clipped, retaining the original publisher's printed price of 25s. net at the bottom corner of the front flap. There is some light creasing and rubbing to the extremities - mainly to the spine, which is also browned. There is also some light foxing to the edges (please see scans). ***223mm x 145mm. 432 pages including a Bibliography and Index at the back of the book.
***'Adalbert Stifter (23 Oct 1805 - 28 Jan 1868) was a Bohemian-Austrian writer, poet, painter, and pedagogue. He was notable for the vivid natural landscapes depicted in his writing and has long been popular in the German-speaking world. As a man of strong liberal convictions who welcomed the 1848 revolutions and allowed his name to go forward as a candidate in the Frankfurt Parliament, even suspected by others of being a radical, the cornerstone of Stifter's philosophy was Bildung (personal and cultural maturation through education). Instead of becoming a state official, he became a tutor to the aristocrats of Vienna, and was highly regarded as such. Stifter visited Linz in 1848, and moved there permanently a year later, where he became editor of the Linzer Zeitung and the Wiener Bote. In 1850 he was appointed supervisor of elementary schools for Upper Austria. His physical and mental health began to decline in 1863, and he became seriously ill from cirrhosis of the liver in 1867. In deep depression, he slashed his neck with a razor on the night of 25 January 1868 and died three days later.' (Wiki)
***'Adalbert Stifter (1805-68) is generally recognized in German-speaking countries to be the greatest prose-writer of Austria. This is the first complete study of his work to appear in English. Stifter was born and dwelt in the village of Oberplan on the southern fringe of Bohemia. His life was uneventful, and Mr Blackall's concern is biographical only so far as the life and background are important in a full understanding of the writings. His plan is first to give an account and analysis of Der Nachsommer, Stifter's greatest book and the work of his maturity, and to make this novel the key to all his other work as well as to his life and thought.' (Quote taken from the front flap of the dustwrapper)
***A very nice example of this interesting study of 19th Century Austrian writer, poet, painter Adalbert Stifter - uncommon in first edition, and very uncommon in the original dustwrapper. ***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.
Seller Inventory # 9565
Contact seller
Report this item
