Items from the Wish List: Pape and Pogany

Children of the Dawn - Old Tales of Greece: Eleven Legendary Stories for Children (Illustrated) by Elsie Finnimore Buckley, Frank C. Pape

The eleven tales here presented are very various both in date, character, and detail; and they seem well chosen for their purpose. The first story, called "The Riddle of the Sphinx," gives us in brief the whole Theban tale, from King Laius and the magical building of the city, to the incomparable scene from Sophocles' last play, describing the "Passing of Œdipus." It even includes the heroic action of Antigone, in burying with due rites her dead brother, in spite of the tyrant's threats, and at the cost of her own life. One other tale in this selection rests in large measure on the Attic drama—namely, the story of Alcestis, the fourth in this series. The two charming love-stories which come second and third in this series, though unquestionably Greek in origin, reach us from Roman sources, and bear clear evidence in their form and spirit of belonging to a later age. The character of the love romance in "Hero and Leander" and the transparent allegory of "Eros and Psyche" (Love and the Soul), leave little doubt on this point. The fifth and tenth stories (in both of which Atalanta appears) rest in their present shape on the authority of Apollodorus; but the incidents of the Calydonian boar-hunt, and the race for the hand of the princess, won by the suitor's clever trick of the golden apples, are found as local traditions connected with two different parts of Greece, Arcadia and Bœotia, and may be in their earliest form of great antiquity. The two fanciful stories of Echo and Narcissus, and Alpheus and Arethusa, which form the sixth and ninth in this series, are among the prettiest of Nature myths, and are characteristic Greek inventions. The three remaining stories are those of Pygmalion, Orpheus, and Œnone. It only remains to commend these beautiful old stories, in their English dress, to the favour of those for whom they are intended. It is a pleasure to publish this new, high quality, and affordable edition of these timeless stories. – Amazon.

“OLD ROWLEY": A PRIVATE LIFE OF CHARLES II. Illus., Frank C. Pape by Dennis Wheatley

A well-written and readable biography of Charles II, a somewhat underestimated monarch, by an author far better known for his fiction especially black magic tales. Charles survived years of exile to return to a fractured and bankrupt kingdom, and did what he could to repair it, despite the bitter quarrels of religious and political factions. Despite his many liaisons he loved his queen and it was unfortunate that she did not provide him with a legitimate male heir, so we got his brother James, who did what he could to fracture it again.. (Old Rowley was a nickname given by some of his many female companions - he was a vigorous stallion in the royal stables.) – An Amazon reviewer.

Lives of the Twelve Caesars, Newly Translated with an Introduction By H.M. Bird by Suetonius, Illustrated By Frank C. Pape

The Russian Story Book

by Richard Wilson & Frank C. Pape

These 12 illustrated children’s stories have been taken from the heart of “Holy Russia.” From an area that covers the Ukrainian Steppe from Kiev to Novgorod, in the West, to the borders of the Caspian Sea in the East.

Herein are the stories of:
Ilya And Cloudfall,
Ilya Meets Svyatogor And Parts With Him,
Ilya And Nightingale The Robber,
Ilya And Falcon  The Hunter,
The Adventure Of  The Burning White Stone,
How Quiet Dunai Had Brought The Princess Apraxia To Kiev,
The Story Of  Nikitich And Marina,
How The Court Of Vladimir Received A Visitor From India the Glorious,
The Story Of  Kasyan And The Dream Maiden,
How Stavr The Noble Was Saved By A Woman’s Wiles the Golden Horde,
Whirlwind The Whistler, Or The Kingdoms Of Copper,    Silver, And Gold,
Vasily The Turbulent,
Nikita The Footless and The Terrible Tsar,
Peerless Beauty  The Cake-Baker

The stories are further enhanced by the sixteen amazing coloured plates and line illustrations by Frank C. Papé.
We invite you to curl up with this unique sliver of Russian culture not seen in print for over a century; and immerse yourself in the tales and fables of yesteryear. – Amazon.

The Hungarian Fairy Book

by Nandor Pogany, Willy Pogany

Forty Four Turkish Fairy Tales by Anonymous, Willy Pogany 

 This is the exquisite colour, hardcover edition of this famous volume of fairytales. This volume is a treasure chest of classic Eastern tales drawing on the rich folklore of Turkey. Forty-four Turkish Fairy Tales has not been in print for almost 100 years, mainly because the original edition had lavish production standards. On the used market, mint copies of the 1913 original can cost up to four figures. This volume is appropriately titled Fairy Tales because something definitely 'fairy' occurs. There are talking animals, flying horses, birds that magically change into beautiful maidens, quests to win the hand of a princess, magical objects, simple, yet brave, peasants, wizards, witches, dragons and dungeons, epic journeys, and loveable fools. The majority of these stories contain encounters with 'Dews', or Turkish supernatural beings, better known in the West as 'Genies.' There are many other specifically Turkish elements and references in the stories, for which the glossary at the end of the book is of particular help. So this isn't simply an orientalised set of European Tales, but was drawn from an authentic Turkish oral storytelling tradition by Dr. Ignácz Kúnos. Plus, there are almost 200 illustrations exquisitely crafted by Willy Pogany. – Amazon.

The Golden Cockerel: From the Original Russian Fairy Tale of Alexander Pushkin (Dover Children's Classics)

by Elaine Pogany, Willy Pogany

A war-weary king strikes a bargain with a wizard and his supernatural bird in this enchanting fable from old Russia. Elaine Pogány's adaptation of the beloved story by Alexander Pushkin sweeps readers of all ages into a lively tale that unfolds against a colorful panorama of palaces and forests populated by princesses, peasants, and soldiers.
This classic work receives a stunning artistic treatment from one of the masters of book illustration, Willy Pogány, whose evocative pictures adorn many of the pages. Full-page color images, along with striking black-and-white drawings, depict memorable scenes from a timeless tale of magic and adventure. – Amazon.

The Welsh Fairy Book: (illustrated)

by W. Jenkyn Thomas, Willy Pogány

An Incomplete Esoteric Education

Jack the Giant Killer, Retold and Illustrated by Richard Doyle.

“A beautiful British edition of this famous story for juveniles, retold by Richard Doyle, who has also created the delightful full-color illustrations. The black-&-white endpapers reprint five of Ernest H. Shepard's illustrations from "Dream Days," & an illustration by S. C. Hulme Beaman. Bookmark matches cover color. Beautifully designed. Cover has gold type on deep blue-purple felt-like binding.” – Amazon. Although it must have been an older version, I never look at this book without thinking about Samuel Johnson saying that whenever the general talk turned to society, he abstracted himself in boredom and instead thought about Jack the Giant-Killer.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Fairy Tale. Hardback.

The Oxford Book of Carols, by Percy Dearmer, Martin Shaw, and Ralph Vaughan Williams.

A classic collection of carols. “Vaughan Williams was a noted composer and arranger of music in the Anglican Church and a founder member of the English Folk Dance and Song Society. He was a scholar of English folk-song and his music was greatly influenced by traditional folk forms. Vaughan Williams had collaborated with Percy Dearmer on the production of the English Hymnal, which was published in 1906, and as with this hymnal, The Oxford Book of Carols favoured traditional folk tunes and polyphonic arrangements of carols, instead of the Victorian hymn tunes that Vaughan Williams considered to be over-sentimental and Germanic in tone. Vaughan Williams in particular drew on music from his own childhood and his scholarship of English folk music, and was driven by his conviction that the music of ordinary people should be valued.” – Wikipedia. Contains some carols by Frances Chesterton.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Carols. Collection. Hardback.

Irish Wonders: Popular Tales as Told by the People, by D. R. McAnally, Jr. Illustrated by H. R. Heaton.

“The Ghosts, Giants, Pookas, Demons, Leprechawns, Banshees, Fairies, Witches, Widows, Old Maids, and Other Marvels of the Emerald Isle.” Reprint of a classic work of folklore.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code. Ireland. Folklore. Hardback.

Russian Fairy Tales, Collected by Aleksandr Afanas’ev, Translated by Norbert Guterman, Illustrated by Alexander Alexeieff.

I first read this book in college and recognized the stories behind Gardner’s “In the Suicide Mountains”. I remember Kenny’s then-girlfriend Tracie reading out loud one of the stories while she sat on the old green couch in front of the porch window in the boy’s room. A wonderful collection full of Koschey the Deathless, Baba Yaga, many-headed dragons who sometimes ride horses, tsars, fools, and talking animals of particularly Russian character, and illustrated in an initially forbidding folk-style that comes to grow on you.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Fairy Tales. Russian. Softcover.

Great Swedish Fairy Tales, selected by Elsa Olenius, translated by Holger Lundbergh, and Illustrated by John Bauer.

The illustrations seem to be the main feature here; that is certainly the way the cover sells it. The Swedish artist John Bauer is famous for his artwork, especially his trolls, which have influenced both Brian Froud and the trolls in the Rankin/Bass ‘Hobbit’.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Fairy Tales. Swedish. John Bauer. Softcover.

Scandinavian Folktales, Translated and Edited by Jacqueline Simpson. Illustrated by Caroline Gowdy.

I read it in college and was pleased to find this copy at Half-Price. Stories grim and stark, mostly, bleak as a Northern sky, illustrated in a minimalist folk-style. For a good sample, read ‘How to Raise the Dead’, page 110. Not a book of twinkly tales to amuse the children, unless you’re looking to teach them a hard lesson and keep them in line. Jacqueline Simpson strikes again!

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Folk Tales. Scandinavian. Softcover.

Irish Folk Tales, Edited by Henry Glassie.

“Here are 125 magnificent folktales collected from anthologies and journals published from the mid-nineteenth century to the present day. Beginning with tales of the ancient times and continuing through the arrival of the saints in Ireland in the fifth century, the periods of war and family, the Literary Revival championed by William Butler Yeats, and the contemporary era, these robust and funny, sorrowful and heroic stories of kings, ghosts, fairies, treasures, enchanted nature, and witchcraft are set in cities, villages, fields, and forests from the wild western coast to the modern streets of Dublin and Belfast.” – Amazon. Bought it in the college bookstore, as I recall. Or was it from a book club? About that era, anyway. Some illustrations at the section heads.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Folk Tales. Irish. Softcover.

The Children’s Homer: The Adventures of Odysseus and the Tale of Troy, by Padraic Colum. Illustrated by Willy Pogany.

Another Colum/Pogany joint effort, which I had to have. It is mostly pictures of people throwing spears, with an occasional monster here and there (I can’t say I think much of Colum’s version of Polyphemus or Scylla). Haven’t read it as I know the story, but couldn’t pass up the book because, you know, Colum and Pogany.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Myth and Legend. Children’s. Softcover.

The Kalevala, or Poems of the Kalevala District, Compiled by Elias Lonnrot. Translated by Francis Peabody Magoun, Jr.

Most simply put, it is the national poem of Finland. “The Kalevala was compiled by Elias Lönnrot, who published the folk material in two editions (32 cantos, 1835; enlarged into 50 cantos, 1849). Kalevala, the dwelling place of the poem’s chief characters, is a poetic name for Finland, meaning “land of heroes.” The leader of the “sons of Kaleva” is the old and wise Väinämöinen, a powerful seer with supernatural origins, who is a master of the kantele, the Finnish harplike stringed instrument. Other characters include the skilled smith Ilmarinen, one of those who forged the “lids of heaven” when the world was created; Lemminkäinen, the carefree adventurer-warrior and charmer of women; Louhi, the female ruler of Pohjola, a powerful land in the north; and the tragic hero Kullervo, who is forced by fate to be a slave from childhood. Among the main dramas of the poem are the creation of the world and the adventurous journeys of Väinämöinen, Ilmarinen, and Lemminkäinen to Pohjola to woo the beautiful daughter of Louhi, during which the miraculous sampo, a mill that produces salt, meal, and gold and is a talisman of happiness and prosperity, is forged and recovered for the people of Kalevala. Although the Kalevala depicts the conditions and ideas of the pre-Christian period, the last canto seems to predict the decline of paganism: the maid Marjatta gives birth to a son who is baptized king of Karelia, and the pagan Väinämöinen makes way for him, departing from Finland without his kantele and songs.” – Wikipedia. I have not completely read this book. The Kalevala not only influenced Tolkien’s work, it’s also the basis for one of Kameron’s and my favorite MST3K’s, “The Day the Earth Froze.” So there’s that. Magoun’s translation is described as ‘prose’ in that, while it is still in lines and stanzas, it does not try to keep the alliterative or stressed beat of the original ‘runot’; this form can be seen in Longfellow’s “Hiawatha’, which was influenced by the epic poem.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Epic Poem. Translation. Softcover.

Heimskringla, or The Lives of the Norse Kings, by Snorre Sturlason. Edited with Notes by Erling Monsen. And translated into English with the assistance of A. H. Smith.

“With 145 Illustrations and 5 Maps”. “It was written in Old Norse in Iceland by the poet and historian Snorri Sturluson … Heimskringla is a collection of sagas about Swedish and Norwegian kings, beginning with the saga of the legendary Swedish dynasty of the Ynglings, followed by accounts of historical Norwegian rulers from Harald Fairhair of the 9th century up to the death of the pretender Eystein Meyla in 1177.” – Wikipedia. All part of my Northern Thing. That being said, I haven’t read it all, it being a big thick brick of a book.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Saga. Softcover.

The Animal Story Book, Edited by Andrew Lang. Illustrations by H. J. Ford.

“The Animal Story Book, part of Andrew Lang’s original Fairy Book series, has been admired time and time again, enchanting readers with its carefully crafted prose and eclectic assortment of tales, featuring animals from land, sea, and air, from the domesticated dog and parrot to the wild lion and dolphin. Originally published in 1896, this collection of celebrated tales has stood the test of time.” A Dover book.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Animal Stories. Softcover.

English Fairy Tales, Collected by Joseph Jacobs. Illustrated by John D. Batten.

“Joseph Jacobs (29 August 1854 – 30 January 1916) was an Australian folklorist, translator, literary critic, social scientist, historian and writer of English literature who became a notable collector and publisher of English folklore … His work went on to popularize some of the world's best known versions of English fairy tales including "Jack and the Beanstalk", "Goldilocks and the three bears", "The Three Little Pigs", "Jack the Giant Killer" and "The History of Tom Thumb". He published his English fairy tale collections: English Fairy Tales in 1890 and More English Fairy Tales in 1893 but also went on after and in between both books to publish fairy tales collected from continental Europe as well as Jewish, Celtic and Indian fairytales which made him one of the most popular writers of fairytales for the English language. During his lifetime, Jacobs came to be regarded as one of the foremost experts on English folklore.” – Wikipedia. Got this copy at Yesterday’s Warehouse.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Fairy Tales. Collection. Softcover.

The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes, Edited by Iona and Peter Opie.

“Here is a brand new edition of the classic anthology of nursery rhymes--over 500 rhymes, songs, nonsense jingles, and lullabies traditionally handed down to young children. Included are all of your favorites, ranging from "Yankee Doodle Came to Town" and "A Frog He Would A-Wooing Go" to "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep," Jack and Jill" and "Old Mother Hubbard." And complementing the rhymes are nearly a hundred illustrations, including reproductions of early art found in ballad sheets and music books, which highlight the development of children's illustrations over the last two centuries. With each piece, Iona and Peter Opie introduced a wealth of information, noting the earliest known publications of the rhyme, describing how it originated, illustrating changes in wording over time, and indicating variations and parallels in other languages. Moreover, in the general introduction, the Opies discuss the different types of rhyme and the earliest published collections, and they address such questions as who was Mother Goose and whether or not individual rhymes originally portrayed real people. For this second edition, the notes have been updated and extended in light of recent scholarship, providing an unrivaled wealth of literary and bibliographic information.” – Amazon.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Nursery Rhymes. Dictionary. Hardback.

Paracelsus: Selected Writings, by Phillipus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim. Edited by Jolande Jacobi. Translated by Norbert Guterman.

Illustrated by many old woodcuts of alchemy and natural philosophy. “The enigmatic sixteenth-century Swiss physician and natural philosopher Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim, called Paracelsus, is known for the almost superhuman energy with which he produced his innumerable writings, for his remarkable achievements in the development of science, and for his reputation as a visionary (not to mention sorcerer) and alchemist. Little is known of his biography beyond his legendary achievements, and the details of his life have been filled in over the centuries by his admirers. This richly illustrated anthology presents in modernized language a selection of the moral thought of a man who was not only a self-willed genius charged with the dynamism of an impetuous and turbulent age but also in many ways a humble seeker after truth, who deeply influenced C. G. Jung and his followers.’ – Amazon. Paracelsus was always my favorite alchemist after I read about him in middle school. For all his learning and philosophy, he seemed to be a typical hard-headed Northern kind of fellow, argumentative and earthy. Bought this book for research and reference, as it were. I’ve peeked into it but haven’t really read it.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Alchemy. Natural Philosophy. Softcover.

The Art of Memory, and Bruno Giordano and the Hermetic Tradition, by Frances A. Yates.

Dame Frances’ work was a huge influence on John Crowley; the Art of Memory plays a key role in ‘Little, Big’, and the character of Bruno Giordano in the Aegypt Cycle. She even appears as a character in ‘Endless Things’. I bought these books out of the interest aroused by Crowley. “The ancient Greeks, to whom a trained memory was of vital importance—as it was to everyone before the invention of printing—created an elaborate memory system, based on a technique of impressing "places" and "images" on the mind. Inherited and recorded by the Romans, this art of memory passed into the European tradition, to be revived, in occult form, at the Renaissance, and particularly by the strange and remarkable genius, Giordano Bruno. Such is the main theme of Frances Yates's unique and distinctive book, in the course of which she sheds light on such diverse subjects as Dante's Divine Comedy, the form of the Shakespearian theater, and the history of ancient architecture. Aside from its intrinsic fascination, this book is an invaluable contribution to aesthetics and psychology, and to the history of philosophy, of science, and of literature.” – Amazon. ‘Memory’ has a fold out diagram; both are illustrated with woodcuts and half-tone reproductions of art. These are densely scholarly works into which I have only dipped a toe; I suppose I really am a dilettante and not a real academic.

Ranking: Essential, yet only Keepers.

File Code: Medieval Philosophy. Softcovers.

The White Goddess, by Robert Graves.

“The White Goddess: a Historical Grammar of Poetic Myth is a book-length essay on the nature of poetic myth-making by author and poet Robert Graves. The White Goddess represents an approach to the study of mythology from a decidedly CREATIVE and IDIOSYNCRATIC perspective. Graves proposes the existence of a European deity, the "White Goddess of Birth, Love and Death", much similar to the Mother Goddess, inspired and represented by the phases of the moon, who lies behind the faces of the diverse goddesses of various European and pagan mythologies … Graves argues that "true" or "pure" poetry is inextricably linked with the ancient cult-ritual of his proposed White Goddess and of her son … The White Goddess has been seen as a poetic work where Graves gives his notion of man's subjection to women in love an "anthropological grandeur" and further mythologises all women in general (and several of Graves's lovers in specific) into a three-faced moon goddess model. Graves's value as a poet aside, flaws in his scholarship such as poor philology, use of inadequate texts and outdated archaeology have been criticised. Some scholars, particularly archaeologists, historians and folklorists have rejected the work – which T. S. Eliot called "A prodigious, monstrous, stupefying, indescribable book" – and Graves himself was disappointed that his work was "loudly ignored" by many Celtic scholars.” Had to have it for insights into the ideas behind some of his novels.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Literary Theory. Crackpot. Softcover.

Magi: The Quest for a Secret Tradition, by Adrian G. Gilbert.

Illustrated by maps, star charts, and color photo inserts. I have always been interested by the Magi as somewhat enigmatic figures, and here they are examined by ‘reconstructive anthropological archaeology’. Not completely convinced by his conclusions, but his research, gathering of data, and theories are interesting.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Anthropology. Theory. Softcover.

The Hermetic Museum: Alchemy and Mysticism, by Alexander Roob.

A Taschen art book, and as such is a vast chunky image file with a dash of writing. Pictures such as these fascinated me as I found them sprinkled through history books and mythological ‘digests’ through school. Here they are gathered in one place, many in brilliant color. Enigmatic images and ancient diagrams, hinting at lost systems of esoteric knowledge.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Art. Mysticism. Softcover.

Christmas Curiosities, by John Grossman.

“Odd, Dark, and Forgotten Christmas” images and graphics. “Christmas Curiosities is just that; peculiar imagery from the time between St. Nicholas falling out of favor in the Protestant world and the now familiar image of Santa Claus becoming defined; also limited by the time that color printing becomes more widespread and inexpensive. Kristkindls, Krampuses, and Wienachtsmen compete with Santa Claus and St. Nicholas for the job of gift giver. I find the images of Mrs. Claus and Santa at the Creche are a lot older than I thought.” – Power of Babel.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Christmas. Art. Hardback.

A Dictionary of Chivalry, by Grant Uden. Illustrated by Pauline Baynes.

There was a copy of this in the Seguin public library that I wanted to borrow for years to browse in, but was unable to; it was in Reference, and could not be checked out. When I realized years later that it was illustrated by Pauline Baynes, my desire for this book only increased. I finally ordered this ex-library copy just recently; it too was marked for reference and “Not to be taken from this room”. Which is a shame, for it is basically what I would call a browser first and technical reference second, and so was isolated from its proper audience for years. Profusely illustrated in color and line drawings.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Dictionary. Chivalry. Hardback.

The Druids, by Stuart Piggott.

An edition of this book was in the high school library. I read it because I was fascinated with the Druids through much of my reading, especially Arthurian stories like “The Crystal Cave”. A scholarly look from archaeological and traditional accounts, with a record of their influence on popular imagination and ‘recreations’ of ancient religion. Profusely illustrated.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: History. Anthropology. Softcover.

The Works of Francois Rabelais, Translated by Sir Thomas Urquhart and Pierre Motteux. Illustrated by Frank. C. Pape.

Having been rather intrigued by accounts of Rabelais and already a fan of Pape from his illustrations of Cabell, I was extremely happy to find this book on a high shelf in Yesterday’s Warehouse. It is a little brittle and mildew-stained; no longer a reading copy, I fear. I have another Rabelais in softcover for that. Though Rabelais had a reputation as being rather risqué (which accounts for this edition), nowadays he wouldn’t flutter a pulse. He is rather ‘earthy’ and scatalogical, but most of his writing is scholarly and satirical. The style of Urquhart’s [pronounced ‘Irkit’] translation has influenced other writers, most notably Charles Kingsley and Robert Nye. Pape’s pictures are superb, with a certain kind of genius. [Since the binding is a rather plain lemon-yellow, I show a couple of the illustrations.]

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Classic. Satire. Hardback.

Saint George and the Dragon, by Edmund Spenser. Adapted by Sandol Stoddard Warburg. Illustrations by Pauline Baynes.

Found and read it in college. Preserved it in my memory with numerous Xeroxed images. Bought this copy many years later off the internet. More of Baynes’ medieval-style genius; the main reason I bought it. Let not this short entry be taken as an indication of its size in my affections.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Poetry. English. Hardback. Adaptation.

Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings, by Aboi Qasi Ferdowsi. A new translation by Dick Davis.

A big thick brick of a Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition, got for a good price from Hamilton Books. “Wherever Persian influence has spread, the stories of the Shahnameh become deeply embedded in the culture … Among the greatest works of world literature, this prodigious narrative, composed by the poet Ferdowsi in the late tenth century, tells the story of pre-Islamic Iran, beginning in the mythic time of creation and continuing forward to the Arab invasion in the seventh century. The sweep and psychological depth of the Shahnameh is nothing less than magnificent as it recounts classic tales like the tragedy of Rostam and Sohrab.” – From the Cover.  Of interest to me for its myths and influence on several writer (like Matthew Arnold, and through him, C. S. Lewis). Also, Ferdowsi would be an excellent name for a cat.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Persia. National Legend. Softcover.

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, by Rudolf Erich Raspe. Illustrated by Gustave Dore.

This 1944 edition is from the Book League of America, famous for its inexpensive, black-binding reprints of the classics (like the edition in which I first read ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’). These famous stories, once read all over the world, went into an eclipse after Germany’s use of them in propaganda in WWII. Revived a bit with Terry Gilliam’s ‘flawed’ masterpiece movie adaptation.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Classic. Tall Tale. Hardback.

Le Morte D’Arthur, by Sir Thomas Malory. Edited by John Matthews. Illustrated by Anna-Marie Ferguson.

“Complete, Unabridged, New Illustrated Edition”. One of the foundational works in the Arthurian legendarium, this book replaced a little paperback that I had. Could almost be a twin for the Alan Lee edition of “The Lord of the Rings” in size and design. Malory influenced White, Steinbeck, Lewis, and a host of other writers.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: The Matter of Britain. Legends. Hardback.

Shakespeare: The Complete Works, Edited by G. B. Harrison.

The textbook for my Shakespeare class under the great Dr. Robert W. Walts, it has the fully annotated plays and sonnets, and allied documents about the playwright. My preferred copy to read the plays in. Has my name in it. A souvenir of my highest attainment in English learning.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Shakespeare. Plays and Poetry. Hardback.

An Incomplete Education, by Judy Jones and William Wilson.

1987 Edition. Initially bought as a present for Mike, it later came back to me. This happens quite often to me: I give books I think both I and the other person would enjoy, and later I get them back. A compendium of facts about art, history, philosophy, science, and so on, potted into short snappy articles that help fill in gaps of one’s education and, if necessary, fake it. Illustrated. A good browser, it has been updated since.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Compendium of Civilization. Cheat Notes. Hardback.

Fantasies, and the Fantastical Fantasists Who Fantasize About Them

The King of Elfland’s Daughter, by Lord Dunsany.

A new, upgraded copy, with an Introduction by Neil Gaiman (his “Stardust” was very influenced this book). Otherwise, see the entry under the paperback.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Fantasy. Novel. Softcover.

The Circus of Dr. Lao, by Charles G. Finney

“The Seven Faces of Dr. Lao” was one of my favorite movies of a kid, and its message about the wonder of life and how it challenges the drab outlook on the world. I read the book in the college library, and then spent years looking for a copy (no one who has one parts with it, apparently), then finally found one. Illustrations by Boris Artzybaheff. Part of that 30’s social satire trend (like Cabell or Thorne Smith) that was knocked out for a while by WWII, when the unexciting, commonplace life of the small town didn’t seem to be such a given anymore. That it was now threatened revealed a quality of romance and precious fragility that it always has but needs dark shadows – or in time of peace, fantasy – to bring out. The question remains, however: was it a Russian or a bear?

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Fantasy. Satire. Softcover.

The Complete Pegana, by Lord Dunsany. Edited and Introduced by S. T. Joshi.

A part of the reprint publishing by Chaosium, a game producer with a Cthulhu product, of work connected to Lovecraft. It gathers all the Pegana stories into one volume. S. T. Joshi is the most recent go-to scholar on Lovecraft.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Fantasy. Anthology. Softcover.

Literary Swordsmen and Sorcerers: The Makers of Heroic Fantasy, by L. Sprague de Camp.

I first read this book in the college library, back when I wasn’t very aware of de Camp or Arkham House, which published it. For a while de Camp was a big honcho in what was then mostly termed “sword and sorcery”; he wrote dozens of books and was a wheel in the Society for Creative Anachronism. Now most of his work is as dust. Still, this book is a good look at the lives and works of the major writers of Fantasy as of 1976, with illustrations and pictures of the authors seldom seen at that time. A “manly man” of scientific bent, de Camp often seems judgmental about problems he didn’t have or opinions he could not share. Just look at HIS picture on the jacket, and if you have lived in the 70’s you can read only too well his type. I am proud to own at least this late product of the fabled Arkham House press.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Fantasy. Literary History. Hardback.

Irish Earth Folk, by Diarmuid Mac Manus.

Illustrated with line drawings and with some photos. “In Memory of My Loved and Revered Friend, the late WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS.” Fairy lore, with, as you can imagine, a bit of the Celtic Twilight and Spiritualism sprinkled in. I used to read this book at the public library at least once a summer as a kid. “Fairies are real, they’re not all safe and twinkly, and here’s proof.” Of a piece with my interest in UFOs or Bigfoot or other strange phenomena. So happy to find a copy since the library has retired theirs.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Legend. Occult. Hardback.

A Family Book of Nursery Rhymes, Edited by Iona and Peter Opie. Illustrations by Pauline Baynes.

Got for the Baynes illustrations; that it was put together and has scholarly notes by the famous authorities on children’s literature is cake.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Nursery Rhymes. Hardback.

Biblioholism: The Literary Addiction, by Tom Raabe.

A hilarious examination of the bibliophile’s dilemma, his compulsive nature, and famous book-collectors through history. I was certainly once caught in the rage of that book-lust, and while I think I can say I have overcome it to a certain degree, I still show pronounced traces of the disease (as this Inventory itself goes to prove). Some indifferent illustrations.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Wry Examination. Softcover.

Penguin Island, by Anatole France. Illustrated by Frank C. Pape.

Bought solely for the Pape illustrations, but I must admit that I found a spot of political satire here and there that was very droll. After his work for Cabell, Pape had a good run of illustrating famous “scurrilous” old classics that wouldn’t move a pulse these days, and France’s books were among them. The particular shade of purple of the cover leads me to think this was reprinted in the 70’s, and its nearly pristine condition that it wasn’t read very often.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Satire. Fantasy. Softcover.

Wizardry and Wild Romance: A Study of Epic Fantasy, by Michael Moorcock.

Not so much a study as a collection of essays and articles. Moorcock is that annoying and querulous “expert” in your field whose enormous knowledge seems to be only matched by his completely perverse misunderstanding of it. Not a man for delicate shades or noble aspirations, you get the feeling that he wonders why he is not worshipped quite as much as Tolkien and that the only answer to that is that most people are dolts. Moorcock would be in the ash-heap with other “sword-and-sorcery” writers if Tolkien had not elevated the field, and his contrarian opinions (which have the hardihood to disagree with mine) sometimes appear to be expressed only to stir up controversy and thereby an illusion of relevance for his own work. Still, he’s discussing Fantasy, gosh darn it, is a fan of the genre, and he gives me something to sharpen my own rhetoric and opinions on.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Literary Criticism. Fantasy. Softcover.

Apostle of Letters: The Life and Works of Lin Carter, Edited by Stephen J. Servello

Probably the closest we’ll get to a biography of Lin Carter. “Lin Carter played a major role in the introduction of Fantasy into popular culture, both as author and as editor of the Ballantine Adult Fantasy Series … undeniability an important figure in the history in the 20^th Century fantasy.” – from the back of the book. Sad to hear about the illness and poverty that dogged his final years after all his work. Essays and articles.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Biography. Softcover.

The Pyrates, by George MacDonald Fraser.

“Written in an arch, ironic style and containing a great deal of deliberate anachronism, it traces the adventures of a classic hero (Captain Benjamin Avery, RN, very loosely based on Henry Avery), multiple damsels in distress, and the six captains who lead the infamous Coast Brotherhood (Calico Jack Rackham, Black Bilbo, Firebeard, Happy Dan Pew, Akbar the Terrible and Sheba the She-Wolf). It also concerns the charismatic anti-hero, Colonel Thomas Blood (cashiered), a rakish dastard who is loosely modeled on the historical figure, Thomas Blood. All of the above face off against the malevolently hilarious Spanish viceroy of Cartagena, Don Lardo.” – Wikipedia. Fraser wrote the scripts for the entertaining Musketeer movies of my youth, and this tribute to the pirate film is like them, both heroic and comedic. I had a softcover, which I gave to Kenny. I liked that other cover better.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Adventure. Novel. Hardback.

The Shadow-Walkers: Jacob Grimm’s Mythology of the Monstrous, Edited by Tom Shippey.

“Elves and dwarves, trolls and giants, talking dragons, valkyries and werewolves: all these are familiar in modern movies and commercial fantasy. But where did the concepts come from? Who invented them? Almost two centuries ago, Jacob Grimm assembled what was known about such creatures in his work on 'Teutonic Mythology', which brought together ancient texts such as Beowulf and the Elder Edda with the material found in Grimm's own famous collection of fairy-tales. This collection of essays now updates Grimm, adding much material not known in his time, and also challenges his monolithic interpretations, pointing out the diversity of cultural traditions as well as the continuity of ancient myth.” – from the blurb on the back. Tom Shippey is of course the great English scholar and expert on Tolkien. Tolkien’s shadow is never very far away in these essays.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Mythology. Literature. Hardback.

 The Crock of Gold, by James Stephens.

“The Crock of Gold is one of those wild, individual fantasies that were produced before writers decided to get stuck in the furrow that Tolkien had plowed. Hard to describe; it involves a boy and a girl, a philosopher who is an expert on everything but real life, the god Pan, leprechauns, some policemen, and the old gods of Ireland. Concerns humor, adventure, love, and the heart's true calling. And a crock of gold.” This was also one of those summer reads I came back to again and again at the public library. I was delighted when I finally found a more or less exact copy. Illustrations by Thomas Mackenzie.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Fantasy. Novel. Hardback.