MOBY DICK, or The Whale

The First Edition of this illustrated classic other than the very scarce Lakeside Press Limited Edition of 1000 copies which was published the same year. Illustrated throughout with beautiful reproductions of Rockwell Kent's artwork, many of the illustrations are full page, other are quite large. 8vo, in the original full black cloth lettered and pictorially decorated in silver after designs by Kent on both the upper cover and spine. xxxi, 822pp, + epilogue and colophon. a very well preserved copy, bright and clean, the silver decorations to the cover remain strong and vibrant, the text is clean, the hinges strong, a very pleasing copy.

Edizione: a very pleasing copy of the first trade edition of this classic work, illustrated by one of america's most famous artists, this copy looks to be essentially brand new. herman melville’s classic nineteenth century whaling story and rockwell kent’s definitively twentieth century artistic style might strike one at first as an odd juxtaposition, but the end-product speaks for itself! melville's masterpiece is universally celebrated as one of the greatest works of american literature, but this truly handsome illustrated edition has become a classic in it own right. fantastically rendered, it ranks among the finest of illustrated novels.<br> "as queequeg and i are now fairly embarked in this business of whaling," melville's narrator begins, "and as this business of whaling has somehow come to be regarded among landsmen as a rather unpoetical and disreputable pursuit; therefore, i am all anxiety to convince ye, ye landsmen, of the injustice hereby done to us hunters of whales." melville points out the historical accomplishments of whalers ("often, adventures which vancouver dedicates three chapters to, these men accounted unworthy of being set down in the ship's common log") and the traditional homage paid to whales ("in one of the mighty triumphs given to a roman general upon his entering the world's capital, the bones of a whale, brought all the way from the syrian coast, were the most conspicuous object in the cymballed procession"), and in general does a fine job of vindicating his profession.<br> "oh, the rare old whale, mid storm and gale<br> in his ocean home will be<br> a giant in might, where might is right, <br> and king of the boundless sea."<br> rockwell kent’s vivid and artistic illustrations make this one of the most attractive editions of melville’s classic american novel.