The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Milano: Edizione d'Arte FELIX, 1966. Gustave Dore. Hardcover. Elephant folio. Unpaginated. Red maroon cloth with gilt lettering to cover and spine in original paper-covered black slipcase. Minor stains to parts of spine and along spine on front board. Scuffing and some rubbing to slipcase. Illustrated endpapers. Frontispiece. "What you are about to read, or re-read, is one of the miracles of poetry in English. It would be easy to take it as a poignant monument to potential greatness that was never fully realized. Admittedly, the white fire of Coleridge's genius was never to burn so fiercely again; the greater part of his life was to be spent in unproductive shadow. But such creative moments as can produce an "Ancient Mariner" cannot, of their very nature, come often: their intensity is too great. It is enough that, for a brief season of his life, the big poetic vision was granted to Coleridge, and that we have only to open this book to share it". Stunningly illustrated with reproductions of engravings by Gustave Dore. Introduction by Anthony Burgess. Includes a 33 rpm vinyl record with Coleridge's poetry read by the late Sir Ralph Richardson. Slipcase and vinyl in very good, book in near fine condition. vg. Item #14446
Price: $225.00