THE ADVENTURES OF THE YOUNG SOLDIER IN SEARCH OF THE BETTER WORLD with drawings by Mervyn Peake (First edition - second impression)

C. E. M. Joad (Mervyn Peake)

Edité par Faber and Faber, 24 Russell Square, London, W.C.1, 1943

A propos de cet article

Second impression of the true first edition, published in September 1943. The first impression appeared in July 1943. ***Very good in buff-coloured cloth-covered boards with dark blue titles to the spine. The boards show some marks commensurate with age and handling over the last 80+ years but are generally clean. There is some browning to the top edges of the boards. Edges of boards slightly rubbed. No bumps or creases. Corners sharp. No reading lean to the binding. Spine tight. Internally also very good with no previous ownership inscriptions. No foxing. Pages clean. ***In a very good dustwrapper, illustrated by Mervyn Peake, with red and black titles, which has not been price-clipped, retaining the original publisher's printed price of 6s. net. The dustwrapper is very fragile and has narrow foldover flaps (to conform with wartime paper restrictions). The dustwrapper is complete, with just some minor wear to the top and tail of the spine. Edges of dustwrapper slightly creased and rubbed. Please note there are two closed tears to the centre of the spine but no loss (please see scans). Spine and edges of dustwrapper darkened. ***206mm x138mm. 124 pages.

***'C. E. M. Joad's Young Soldier goes on a pilgrimage to find the Better World that has been promised him after the war. He meets in turn a disillusioned old hand, all cynicism, a statesman, all platitudes, Mr. Escapegoat, the diplomat, and the Reverend Hateman, the clergyman, lashed to their weather vanes and singing psalms of hate and destruction in a storm to Wagnerian music, Mr. Transporthouse with his puppets, Mr. Ema and Miss Ame, planning his ameliorated world of thinner bread and thicker butter for the masses, spread with jam in the shape of education up to university standard and honey in the form of labour-saving flats and a preserved country-side, not to speak of subsidised opera companies, repertory companies, concert companies and travelling picture shows; the Ultra-red Robot insisting that there will be no butter, no jam and no honey because if heads are hard, pillows will be hard too, and the Red-tape Worm pointing out on the contrary that, if the pillows are soft, the heads must be soft as well, and planning accordingly a Brave New World in which universal softness prevails; a chorus of Astrologers, Theosophists, Christian Scientists, Spiritualists and Oxford Groupers offering their different brands of aspirin for the sick headache of humanity, Mr. Heardhux, for the most part in his astral body but assuming a corporeal mouth and tongue for the purposes of discussion and prescribing withdrawal from a world that is doomed, and the philosopher, platitudinous and common-sensical, swallowing none of the recipes but stealing a little from the lot, and prescribing salvation both by faith and by works - all these characters and many more being gorgeously portrayed in the flesh by Mr. Mervyn Peake. ***At the end the Young Soldier finds, in so far as he finds anything at all, that the New World he seeks, like the God of Shaw's Black Girls, if it is anywhere at all, is inside himself.' (Quote taken from the dustwrapper flaps)

***Second impression of the true first edition, illustrated throughout by Mervyn Peake. Copies are now hard to find in their original fragile wartime dustwrappers. ***Of interest to collectors of the work of Mervyn Peake. ***For all our books, postage is charged at cost, allowing for packaging: any shipping rates indicated on ABE are an average only: we will reduce the P & P charge where appropriate - please contact us for postal rates for heavier books and sets etc.

N° de réf. du vendeur 9485

Détails bibliographiques

• Titre: THE ADVENTURES OF THE YOUNG SOLDIER IN SEARCH OF THE BETTER WORLD with drawings by Mervyn Peake (First edition - second impression)
• Éditeur: Faber and Faber, 24 Russell Square, London, W.C.1
• Date de parution: 1943
• Langue: anglais
• Reliure: Hardcover
• Illustrateur: Mervyn Peake
• Édition: First Edition
• Impression: First Impression
• État de l'article: Very Good
• État de la jaquette: Very Good
• Catalogues du vendeur:
  • First Editions
  • Illustrated
  • Wartime & Post War Publishing 1939-1950