{"product_id":"asolando-fancies-and-facts-robert-browning-1st-edition","title":"Asolando: Fancies and Facts, Robert Browning — 1st Edition","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublication:\u003c\/b\u003e London, Smith, Elder, \u0026amp; Co., 1890\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormatting:\u003c\/b\u003e 8vo, pp. viii, 157, [2].\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition Report:\u003c\/b\u003e Very Good. The publisher's original red cloth binding remains impressively tight and structurally sound, showing only moderate signs of shelf-wear typical for its age, including slight bumping to the corners and light rubbing to the head and tail of the spine. The decorative black stamping to the boards and the gilt lettering on the spine are still suitably sharp and legible, though the cloth exhibits some minor handling marks and subtle darkening to the spine panel. Internally, the text block is pleasingly firm and the pages are generally crisp; however, there is scattered foxing present, primarily restricted to the endpapers, preliminary leaves, and the untrimmed page edges, which is customary for the paper stock of this era. The hinges are secure, and there are no tears, internal institutional stamps, or obtrusive markings, making this a highly presentable and well-preserved survival.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCatalogue Note:\u003c\/b\u003e This is a true first edition of Robert Browning's final collection of poetry. Notably, although the title page bears the publication year of 1890, the volume was actually published on the 12th of December 1889, which poignantly coincided with the very day of Browning's death in Venice. The book features the publisher’s advertisements bound at the rear, a standard bibliographical point for this first printing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe volume is presented in its primary publisher's binding of red cloth over bevelled boards, distinguished by black-stamped decorative borders. First editions of \u003ci\u003eAsolando\u003c\/i\u003e represent a significant milestone in Victorian literature and remain relatively accessible on the open market; however, copies preserved in tight, original cloth without significant restoration are increasingly sought after by collectors of nineteenth-century verse.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eAsolando: Fancies and Facts\u003c\/i\u003e stands as the poignant final testament of Robert Browning, one of the foremost and most innovative poetic voices of the Victorian era. Released to the public on the very day of his passing, this collection weaves together the profound philosophical reflections, dramatic monologues, and tender lyrical verses that defined his illustrious career. The title itself, derived from \"Asolo,\" the Italian town Browning deeply admired, and a Latinized play on Cardinal Bembo's term \u003ci\u003easolare\u003c\/i\u003e (to disport in the open air), perfectly encapsulates the book's dual nature: a joyful observation of the natural world and a deeply contemplative reckoning with mortality, love, and truth. It remains an essential work for anyone wishing to understand the culmination of Browning's literary and spiritual journey.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Broadhursts Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54814047043923,"sku":"5316","price":50.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0960\/1469\/6787\/files\/20260819_141634.jpg?v=1788254499","url":"https:\/\/broadhurstsbooks.com\/products\/asolando-fancies-and-facts-robert-browning-1st-edition","provider":"Broadhursts Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}