Seeds of Contemplation

Seeds of Contemplation. Thomas Merton. Norfolk, Connecticut: New Directions, 1949. First Edition, First Printing. Hardcover. Original burlap-covered boards with green-and-white printed title labels. No dust jacket. Fair. First edition/first printing of Thomas Merton’s influential meditations on the contemplative life. Completed at the Abbey of Gethsemani in 1948 and first printed by New Directions in February 1949, Seeds of Contemplation was later substantially revised and expanded by Merton as New Seeds of Contemplation in 1962. A landmark work of twentieth-century Catholic spirituality, Christian mysticism, monastic writing, and American religious literature. The original burlap binding, with its mounted green-and-white paper labels, gives this first-edition copy a distinctive and appealing New Directions design. Condition: Fair. No dust jacket. Original burlap-covered boards with green-and-white title labels. Exterior and interior wear is generally light for the book’s age; however, the spine is detaching from the binding and the front endpapers are separating. A previous owner seems to have secured pages at table of contents with tape. Text block remains secure and the pages are clean and unmarked. The copy requires careful handling and may benefit from professional repair or rebinding. Please review photographs carefully for the exact copy offered, labels, spine separation, endpapers, binding, and all condition details. Book is priced to reflect condition. …