A Wonder Book Illustrated By Arthur Rackham [Hawthorne's Wonder Book]

First edition thus; 1928 at title page. Maroon buckram (cloth) boards, gilt cover titles and design, black spine titles, moderate shelf wear, rub. Front cover depicts wily satyr in tree shaking the leaves while children look on below. Pages generally very good, no writing; some toning, discoloration to exterior text block. Pictorial endpapers of young lad and lady approaching tree w/silhouette in foreground of mercury atop pedestal and young satyr-like being sitting upon foundation. Bind good, moderate cant; hinges intact. Illustrated with fifteen full-color plates printed in rich hues, and variously sized b&w decorative headers and tailpieces throughout. Large 6 1/2" x 9 1/4" design. Presented here by Hawthorne are a half dozen of the classical myths rendered into very essential reading for children. A great freedom of treatment was necessary rendering these legends into malleable forms remaining same or similar in their essence having existed for the past two or three millennia. But, by their indestructibility are legitimate subjects for every age to clothe with its own garnish of manners and sentiment, and imbue with its own morality. In these fables of Hawthorne, they assume a Gothic or romantic guise and meeting the comprehension of children. It is only the artificial and complex that bewilder them, while their imaginative senses rise deep and high for elemental of these legends. Contents include: The Gorgon's Head; The Golden Touch; The Paradise of Children; The Three Golden Apples; The Miraculous Pitcher; The Chimaera. Nathaniel Hawthorne was an American novelist and short story writer born in Salem, Massachusetts in 1804. His ancestors include John Hathorne, the only judge involved in the witch trials who never repented of his actions. Nathaniel later added the "w" to his surname. He entered Bowdoin College in 1821, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa in 1824, and graduated in 1825. Hawthorne anonymously published his first work, a novel titled Fanshawe in 1828. He published several short stories in 1837 as Twice-Told Tales. The next year, he became engaged to Sophia Peabody, worked at a Custom House and joined Brook Farm, a transcendentalist community. Hawthorne's writing centers on New England, many works feature moral allegories with Puritan inspiration. His works are considered part of dark romanticism in the Romantic Movement and his themes often center on the inherent evil and sin of humanity, often with deep psychological complexity. 207 pages. Insured post. Size: 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" Tall. …