The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle

Description: Limited Edition #930 of 1000 (950 were available for sale with remaining for presentation), Newly Printed from the text of the Second Edition as Revised by the Author, In Two Volumes. During 18th century Britain, before the genre of the novel had firmly established rules, a variety of experimental pieces of prose fiction where published – this book by Tobias Smollett, author, and doctor, being one of them published in 1751. It is the story of a young country gentleman, Peregrine Pickle, and his exploits through life – both good and bad. It should be noted that some of the “humor” has not aged well seeming more violent today then funny. It is a fascinating piece of literary history, that some of the greatest novelists of the next century were influenced by. Condition: Black hardbound cloth boards with a decorative medallion in gold gilt stamped in the lower front corner show, no wear but have light cosmetic blemishes. The back strip has the title and author stamped in gold gilt that is bright and readable, with only slight wear at the top and bottom. All corners are sharp. Spines are straight with slight cracking to the front and rear boards but hinges remain strong. The overall text block is solid with all pages firmly attached, printed on rag paper, with gold gilt along the top edge. Age tanning throughout. Interior text pages are clean with no tears, cracks, or previous owner marks, black & white illustrations. Volume I & II combined 627 pages. Dimensions: Each book is H – 10” W – 7” Tobias George Smollett (1721 – 1771) was a Scottish surgeon and writer best known for writing picaresque novels, which influenced later generations of British novelists. When his earlier plays were not performed, he obtained a commission as a naval surgeon on the HMS Chichester and traveled to Jamaica where he met his future wife. Upon his return to England, he wrote numerous books, completed translations, and became known as a man of letters. Alexander King (1899 -some records state 1900 – 1965) was born in Austria to Jewish parents. He was expelled from grammar school for “unaccountable conduct” and sent to a Jesuit school for boys in Vienna but after immigrating to the US at seventeen he was working as a cartoonist on “The Big Stick”, a humorous Jewish weekly paper. For nearly twenty-five years (1930 – 1955) he ceased drawing and painting altogether but prior to that between 1928 to 1929 he was a prolific book illustrator. A full list of the books he illustrated and wrote can be found in his papers held at the Library of Congress. In 1945 King took morphine to relieve persistent kidney stone pains, became addicted and for nine years he struggled against the addition. During the late 1950’s he became a frequent guest on the Jack Paar show who described him “the greatest conversationalist I ever met but described him as “a frail but fierce little man with the air of a delinquent leprechaun.”

Price: 84 USD

Location: Fort Collins, Colorado

End Time: 2025-01-22T12:16:49.000Z

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