Twardowski
Praze (Prague): Frantiska Simacka, 1885. First edition. Hardcover. 1885, First Edition. Text in Czech. 206 pp. Hardcover, 12mo., original 3/4 leather with marbled boards, gilt and leather spine decorations and titles, aeg, silk endpapers, blue ribbon. Very Good copy. Scuffing to corners and spine ends; light rubbing along outer hinges. The pages have just started to brown, but the text is bold and unmarked. Strong binding. "Twardowski" is a Slavic version of the "Faust" story. According to Walter Schamschula's essay "Pan Twardowski: The Polish Variant of the Faust Legend in Slavic Literatures," Vrchlicky had already translated Goethe's "Faust" by 1885, and wrote "Twardowski" as his own interpretation of the story. Vrchlicky's version shows the strong influence of Goethe's work, but balances the German's motifs with his own decidedly Czech ones. A rare title by the greatest Czech poet of the 19th century. Digital images available upon request. Very Good / No Jacket. Item #0076633
Price: $240.00