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Literary Criticism
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1738 A Complete Collection of Genteel and Ingenious ConversationLondon: 1738A wonderful uncommon large paper first edition of one of Jonathan Swift's final works, a satire of the banal conversation exchanged between the upper classes in the early 18th century. -
1928 Catalogue 161. A Collection of Original Manuscripts Letters & Books of Oscar WildeLondon: 1928A bright first edition of this scarce limited edition record of a significant collection of original Oscar Wilde material, including manuscripts and personal letters. -
1792 Lettres Originales de MirabeauParis: 1792The complete four volume first edition of Honore Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau's letters to his mistress, Marie Therese de Monnierm, written when he was imprisoned in Vincennes. -
1913 Le Latin MystiqueParis: 1913A handsomely bound example of this scarce limited edition of Remy de Gourmont's study of medieval Christian Latin literary works. -
1966-1988 5vol Collection Science Fiction TitlesLondon: 1974; 1977; 1988; 1972; 1966A collection of science fiction novels and a title on the history of the popularity of the genre, all in original dust wrappers. -
Signed
1926 ApostateLondon: 1926A signed first trade edition of award-winning Irish novelist Forrest Reid's tender autobiography, in which he writes of his youth in Ireland. -
1933 The Novels of Jane AustenOxford: 1933A scarce volume, collecting 3 of Jane Austen's most popular novels, illustrated, and on fine India paper. -
1953 Forrest Reid: A Portrait and a StudyLondon: 1953The first edition of this critical biography of Forrest Reid, offering insight into the life and work of one of the leading novelists of the Irish Literary Revival, complete with the original unclipped dust wrapper. -
1937-1977 6vol Set Jane Austen BiographiesLondon; Toronto; Melbourne; Sydney; Wellington: 1969; 1966; 1937; 1950; 1977; 1969A collection of insightful biographical texts on the life and writings of Jane Austen, all in original dust wrappers. -
1949 The Art of T. S. EliotLondon: 1949Smart critical glimpse into the poetry of T. S. Eliot from the acclaimed academic Dame Helen Gardner. -
1952 Three Great Irishmen: Shaw, Yeats, JoyceLondon: 1952First edition of Ussher's critical collection on Shaw, Yeats, Joyce and their inextricable connections to their Irish heritage. -
1930 Blue DistanceLondon: 1930Retaining the original dust wrapper, this is a vanishingly scarce first edition of this short collection of sketches and travel narratives by Wilfred Rowland Childe. -
1770 Dionysius Longinus on the Sublime: Translated from the Greek, with Notes and ObservationsLondon: 1770The fourth edition of William Smith's popular translation of 'On the Sublime', a Roman-era Greek work of literary criticism. -
c.1962 Cock-a-hoop Bibliography of the Golden Cockerel PressLondon: c.1962A charming, illustrated bibliography of publications released by the Golden Cockerel Press, illustrated throughout. -
1797 Johnson's Lives of the English Poets, Abridged with Notes and Illustrations by the EditorLondon: 1797A fairly early edition of Samuel Johnson's popular account of English poets. -
1936 Five Halley LecturesOxford: 1936An incredibly scarce first edition of this collection of astronomy lectures, with monochrome illustrations. -
1750-1751 The Midwife: Or, Old Woman's MagazineLondon: 1750-1751Two handsomely bound first edition volumes of this very scarce 'Old Woman's Magazine', a short-lived periodical featuring poetry, social commentary, and satire. -
1882 Sunrise, Noon, SunsetLondon: 1882A charming complete set of 3 miniature books of poetry and short passages, in original case. -
1841 A Letter to a FriendLondon: 1841An incredibly scarce presumed first edition theological epistle, penned by Lord Lindsay. -
1852 Recollections of a Literary Life; or, Books, Places, and PeopleLondon: 1852The complete first edition of Mary Russell Mitford's charmingly informal essays, combining memoir, literary criticism and gossip. -
1947 Tribute to Thomas DavisOxford: 1947A bright example of the first edition of W. B. Yeats's essay on the centenary meeting for Irish nationalist Thomas Osborne Davis, celebrating his life. -
1809 The Universal Gleaner or Amusing Companion: Being a Faithful Collection of Choice, Valuable, and Interesting ExtractsBurslem: 1809A very scarce collection of remarkable literary and historical fragments curated by Emilius Montague, with black and white illustrations, in quarter brown calf with paper-covered marbled boards. -
1888 Oeuvres Economiques et Philosophiques de F. QuesnayFrankfurt [Francfort]; Paris: 1888A handsome copy of this very scarce title, collecting the philosophical and economic works of Francois Quesnay. -
1934 Letters to the New IslandCambridge, Mass: 1934An exceptionally lovely association copy of the first collected edition of these essays by W. B. Yeats. From the library of Yeats scholar Marion Witt, and with contextual annotations throughout. -
1897 The Dome: a Quarterly containing Examples of All the ArtsLondon: 1897The first edition of the first issue of 'The Dome', an illustrated late 19th-century literary periodical edited by Ernest J. Oldmeadow. -
1913 The Eighteen NinetiesLondon: 1913A bright and attractive example of the first edition of Holbrook Jackson's study of society and culture of the 1890s, beautifully illustrated throughout. -
1840 The Life of Oliver GoldsmithNew York: 1840Housed in a quarter crushed morocco clamshell case by Riviere, this is the scarce first edition of Washington Irving's biography of Oliver Goldsmith. -
1969 Washington Irving and the House of MurrayKnoxville: 1969An uncommon first edition biography, in lovely condition, withoriginal dust wrapper. -
1938 On the BoilerDublin: 1938A bright example of the first trade edition - the second edition produced - of Yeats's final published prose work, in which he discusses what he sees as the degeneration of Ireland. -
1801 3vols The Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets with Critical Observations on their WorkLondon: 1801A complete three-volume, corrected new edition in uniform contemporary mottled calf of Samuel Johnson’s study of the most eminent English poets. -
1938 On the BoilerDublin: 1938A bright example of the first trade edition - the second edition produced - of Yeats's final published prose work, in which he discusses what he sees as the degeneration of Ireland. -
1855 Wolfert's Roost and Other Papers, Now First CollectedNew York: 1855The first edition, third printing of this Irving anthology, bound in full crushed morocco by Riviere & Son, with lovely gilt dentelles. -
1987-2003 3vol Set American Novels and EssaysLondon: 2003; 1990; 1987An engaging and varied collection of American novels, accompanied by a book of literary criticism from Australian-born critic Robert Hughes. -
1920 EssaysLondon: 1920A collection of essays by philosopher and leader of the transcendentalist movement, Ralph Waldo Emerson. -
1721 The Works of the Right Honourable Joseph AddisonLondon: 1721The complete four volume large paper issue of the first edition of the collected works of Joseph Addison, containing his influential periodical publications. -
1813 The Conduct of the Understanding; Essays Moral, Economical and Political with Sketches of the Lives and Locke and BaconLondon: 1813A smart very scarce copy of this collection of essays by influential philosophers Bacon and Locke.