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Reader and Collector, v. 2, issue 4, December 1941
Page 5
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OF BOOKS AND THINGS [Underlined] The legend of "FRANKENSTEIN" , is part of our every-day lives. It has inspired numerous stories: it is found in many plays and has been seen in quite a few motion pictures. No collector of books one the weird and fantastic could claim to be a complete library if he did not possess at least on copy of "FRANKENSTEIN" . My Special Bookcase holds a very nice copy of this book, issued some years ago by THE LIMITED EDITIONS CLUB. The book is printed in a new type face, cut by , GOUDY. The sides of the book are covered with linen; the back of the binding is a rich red morocco. The illustrations are unique and unusual, in that the illustrator, EVERETT HENRY, attempts to capture all the horror of the story, without ever showing the monster in any of the pictures. Opinions differ as to whether or not HENRY has been successful in his artistic trick. Personally, the pictures left me somewhat cold. A few glimpses of "FRANKENSTEIN'S" creation would have been much more effective. In connection with the story itself, I have always thought it was needlessly long and rather tiresome reading, particularly the opening chapters. The same criticism might be levied at one of her other novels. "THE LAST MAN" in which MRS SHELLY describes the annihilation of the human race by pestilence and plague. This story is relatively unknown. As a matter of fact, most of MRS SHELLY'S other novels and short stories have been over shadowed by "FRANKENSTEIN" . For instance, how many of the readers are familiar with her "THE MORTAL IMMORTAL" or "TRANSFORMATION?" . The former tells the story of a man who drank a potion of an elixir compounded by his master and lived to write the story-three hundred and twenty-three years later. "TRANSFORMATION" is about an ugly dwarf who trades a treasure chest for a beautiful body - and wins the love of a fair damsel. Something of a fairy tale; but the theme has been used in many of our weird tales. Passing over on of COOPER'S best books "THE LAST OF MOHICANS" (bound in buckskin and illustrated in color by EDWARD A. WILSON) and a handsomely bound volume of one the rarer famous (or infamous, depending on the viewpoint) Carrington books "RUSSIAN FOLK LORE" we come to a copy of "ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND". One of the best-loved nonsense books, it nevertheless belongs in every fantasy-collection. My copy is small size, 5-3/4 x 8-3/4 inches and runs a little over 200 pages. The book is completely bound in full French levant morocco, stained deep wine in color. Stamped on the front and back covers and on the back-bone of the book are designs made of type ornaments. The one on the back-bone is made up of inter-twinings of drawings of "ALICE, THE MAD HATTER" and the "WHITE RABBIT". The designs, incidently, are stamped in illustrations. I've seen better illustrations for "ALICE IN WONDERLAND"; but an Alice without Tenniel is like having ham and eggs without the eggs. Most of us know that "ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND" was the result of a series of tales told by the minister and mathematician C. L. DODGSON to the youngster ALICE LIDDLF and her two sisters. My copy bears the signature of MRS. HARGREARES, the original Alice. I'd like to stop and describe some of the other fine book is my special bookcase; such as the much-sort-after first book of RANDOM HOUSE , "CANDIDE" ANGELO VALENTI; a large two volume set of "VANITY FAIR" with JOHN AUSTEN as illustrator and DUMAS' famous "THE THREE MUSKETEERS" in 3 volumes, but after all this little magazine is supposed to be devoted to the fantastic and
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OF BOOKS AND THINGS [Underlined] The legend of "FRANKENSTEIN" , is part of our every-day lives. It has inspired numerous stories: it is found in many plays and has been seen in quite a few motion pictures. No collector of books one the weird and fantastic could claim to be a complete library if he did not possess at least on copy of "FRANKENSTEIN" . My Special Bookcase holds a very nice copy of this book, issued some years ago by THE LIMITED EDITIONS CLUB. The book is printed in a new type face, cut by , GOUDY. The sides of the book are covered with linen; the back of the binding is a rich red morocco. The illustrations are unique and unusual, in that the illustrator, EVERETT HENRY, attempts to capture all the horror of the story, without ever showing the monster in any of the pictures. Opinions differ as to whether or not HENRY has been successful in his artistic trick. Personally, the pictures left me somewhat cold. A few glimpses of "FRANKENSTEIN'S" creation would have been much more effective. In connection with the story itself, I have always thought it was needlessly long and rather tiresome reading, particularly the opening chapters. The same criticism might be levied at one of her other novels. "THE LAST MAN" in which MRS SHELLY describes the annihilation of the human race by pestilence and plague. This story is relatively unknown. As a matter of fact, most of MRS SHELLY'S other novels and short stories have been over shadowed by "FRANKENSTEIN" . For instance, how many of the readers are familiar with her "THE MORTAL IMMORTAL" or "TRANSFORMATION?" . The former tells the story of a man who drank a potion of an elixir compounded by his master and lived to write the story-three hundred and twenty-three years later. "TRANSFORMATION" is about an ugly dwarf who trades a treasure chest for a beautiful body - and wins the love of a fair damsel. Something of a fairy tale; but the theme has been used in many of our weird tales. Passing over on of COOPER'S best books "THE LAST OF MOHICANS" (bound in buckskin and illustrated in color by EDWARD A. WILSON) and a handsomely bound volume of one the rarer famous (or infamous, depending on the viewpoint) Carrington books "RUSSIAN FOLK LORE" we come to a copy of "ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND". One of the best-loved nonsense books, it nevertheless belongs in every fantasy-collection. My copy is small size, 5-3/4 x 8-3/4 inches and runs a little over 200 pages. The book is completely bound in full French levant morocco, stained deep wine in color. Stamped on the front and back covers and on the back-bone of the book are designs made of type ornaments. The one on the back-bone is made up of inter-twinings of drawings of "ALICE, THE MAD HATTER" and the "WHITE RABBIT". The designs, incidently, are stamped in illustrations. I've seen better illustrations for "ALICE IN WONDERLAND"; but an Alice without Tenniel is like having ham and eggs without the eggs. Most of us know that "ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND" was the result of a series of tales told by the minister and mathematician C. L. DODGSON to the youngster ALICE LIDDLF and her two sisters. My copy bears the signature of MRS. HARGREARES, the original Alice. I'd like to stop and describe some of the other fine book is my special bookcase; such as the much-sort-after first book of RANDOM HOUSE , "CANDIDE" ANGELO VALENTI; a large two volume set of "VANITY FAIR" with JOHN AUSTEN as illustrator and DUMAS' famous "THE THREE MUSKETEERS" in 3 volumes, but after all this little magazine is supposed to be devoted to the fantastic and
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