polyglots preface michael holroyd von william gerhardie (2 Ergebnisse)

Soft cover. Zustand: Very Good. Wrappers. Spine slightly faded. New edition (novel first published by Cobden-Sanderson, 1925), from the library of Sir Michael Holroyd. Gerhardie completed the book, writes Holroyd, "under difficult conditions, while his father was dying. His mother would read out pages from the manuscript to the old man 'to kill time', and for the most part he listened uncomplainingly and without comment, though occasionally pronouncing some passage to be 'instructive'. But when she came to the sea-burial of Natasha - a scene of exquisite visual simplicity - she began to cry, and this bothered him. 'Don't cry,' he urged her. 'It's not real. It's only a book. Willy has invented it.' On The Polyglots were pinned all their hopes of re-making the family fortune, but Gerhardie's father died a few months before publication. The book did make Gerhardie's name as a novelist; but as to the fortune, he later calculated that, contrary to expectation, it had brought in 'something equivalent, in terms of royalties, to nothing'.".

Hardcover. Zustand: Very Good. Dust Jacket Included. Some mild spotting, dustwrapper faded and slightly rubbed at spine. First US issue of the "Definitive" edition of the author's second novel (first published by Cobden-Sanderson, 1925), inscribed on the front free endpaper, "copy belongs to Michael Holroyd". Gerhardie completed the book, writes Holroyd, "under difficult conditions, while his father was dying. His mother would read out pages from the manuscript to the old man 'to kill time', and for the most part he listened uncomplainingly and without comment, though occasionally pronouncing some passage to be 'instructive'. But when she came to the sea-burial of Natasha - a scene of exquisite visual simplicity - she began to cry, and this bothered him. 'Don't cry,' he urged her. 'It's not real. It's only a book. Willy has invented it.' On The Polyglots were pinned all their hopes of re-making the family fortune, but Gerhardie's father died a few months before publication. The book did make Gerhardie's name as a novelist; but as to the fortune, he later calculated that, contrary to expectation, it had brought in 'something equivalent, in terms of royalties, to nothing'.".