Anstey, F. (pseudonym of Thomas Anstey Guthrie). Vice Versa; or, a Lesson to Fathers. New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1882. First U.S. edition. 12mo, pp. [1-7] 8-349 [350: blank] [351-360: publisher's ads], fly leaves at front and rear. Original light gray decorative cloth, front panel stamped in black, spine panel stamped in black and gold, rear panel stamped in blind, floral endpapers. Private owner's bookplate affixed to front paste-down. Cloth lightly worn at spine ends, the crown of which is a bit pulled, spine panel a little marked, faint Odd Fellows Home library stamps on flyleaves, a very good copy. #640. $75. "The first and most popular of Anstey's fantasies featuring the disruption of Victorian bourgeois society by anarchic magic. Here the Garuda stone switches the personalities of a smug businessman and his scamp of a son. Anstey gleefully puts the father through merry hell before acknowledging that order must, after all, be restored. Very funny, making clever use of the author's own experiences at a minor prep school." -- Barron (ed), Fantasy Literature 2-8. "In the Dickensian tradition, apparently partly autobiographical in personalities and situations described. While it is partly a situation comedy, it also satirizes heavy fathers, ineffectual teachers, and hot-tempered, flagellating schoolmasters . Long, fully-developed, with, of course, a period flavor, this is one of the great fantasy classics." -- Bleiler, The Guide to Supernatural Fiction 23.

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Bibliographic Details

Title: Vice Versa
Publisher: Appleton
Publication Date: 1882
Binding: Hardcover
Edition: 1st Edition
Condition: Very Good
Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket

Store Description

When I began my bookselling business in 1996 I called it "Eldritch Books" because that adjective at least partly covered the type of material I offered (and because its similarity to my own surname seemed so -- eldritch). "Ghost stories" would be another handy, if somewhat reductive, term. Most of it is fiction from the 19th and early 20th century with a strong emphasis on the fantastic. Since the most familiar and relevant genre terms in use today -- "science fiction," "fantasy," "supernatural," "horror" -- were not so much in use when these books were first published, pegging them that way can be anachronistic. But that should give you the general idea. I don't have much in the way of American pulp (either in magazine or specialty press book form) but otherwise my interests range widely from high-brow to middle-brow to low-brow to amateur/eccentric. You're more likely to find rare and obscure works here than high spots. (Or at least they're obscure now, whatever their status was when first published.) In 2001 I went to work for L. W. Currey as cataloguer and general assistant. Since 2014 I've been back working on my own. I have exhibited at convention fairs (such as WFC and Readercon) in the past. I began collecting and studying antiquarian fantasy around 1980. Some of my essays have appeared in genre publications such as NYRSF, Wormwood and F&SF. I tend to carefully research my inventory and write extensive notes. (If another dealer wishes to make use of any of these notes, I'd appreciate the courtesy of putting such excerpts in quotes and giving proper attribution to me. That's what I do when I quote from any of my reference works.) I will be gradually listing my inventory on ABE over the coming years. I hope you find something of interest.

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Robert Eldridge, Bookseller
NY, U.S.A.

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I ship only by U.S. Postal Service. All shipments are packed carefully and mailed with insurance and (for domestic shipments) tracking information. Except where specified for extra large items, rates are: Domestic Media Mail: $5. Domestic Priority: $10. International First Class (must be under 4 lbs.): $25. International Global Priority (required by USPS regulations for anything over 4 lbs.) -- ask for quo...

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