Wednesday, 24 December 2008

Dorian Gray - no. 37

Hamlyn 1983 (complete works)
Price: £1.50
History: got this at the Charity Shop in town. According to stamps inside the book, this used to belong to our local library's School service. Dating complete works is fairly easy, at least approximately, because the complete text of De Profundus was not allowed to be published till after 1960.
Look: I think it is the Victoriana that has given me a suspicion towards books with yellow covers. This is yellow, and it's got one of the Aubrey Beardsley drawings on the front, coupled with a quote about immoral books. It's certainly trying to capitalise on a certain aspect of Oscar Wilde's appeal. The text is very small...but other than that, a lovely copy. under the dustjacket it is peach, which is interesting but not necessarily wrong.
Introduction/appendices: three pages, not very interesting.
Captured: 18-12-2008

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