The Human Age (Childermass; Monstre Gai & Malign Fiesta), Wyndham Lewis

£425.00

The Human Age (Childermass; Monstre Gai & Malign Fiesta), Wyndham Lewis

Name: The Human Age (Childermass; Monstre Gai & Malign Fiesta), Wyndham Lewis
Brand: Broadhursts Books
SKU: 4880
Price: 425.00 GBP
Availability: InStock

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The Human Age (Two Volumes: Childermass; Monstre Gai & Malign Fiesta), Wyndham Lewis — Mixed First Editions

Publication: London, Methuen & Co. Ltd., 1955-1956

Formatting: 2 vols., 8vo.

Condition Report Very Good. The publisher's cloth boards (light blue with a maroon spine block for Volume One, and grey with a black spine block for Volume Two) remain exceptionally bright, sharp-cornered, and tight. The gilt lettering to the spines is vibrant and unoxidised, while the striking Ayrton line devices stamped to the front boards are pristine and unrubbed. The bindings are entirely firm with no leaning. The unclipped dust jackets (priced 25s. and 30s. net, respectively) are visually arresting and highly presentable, exhibiting only minor rubbing to the extremities and slight, uniform age-toning to the spine panels. However, both the jackets and the inner board edges suffer from noticeable tape-ghosting and browning to the flaps; the remnant offset of a previously removed cellophane protector. Despite this historical blemish, the complete set presents handsomely and solidly on the shelf.

Catalogue Note This two-volume set comprises the complete trilogy of The Human Age as published by Methuen in the mid-1950s. Following the abandonment of the project by his original publisher, Chatto & Windus, Wyndham Lewis was sponsored by the BBC to finish his visionary epic over two decades later. The second volume, containing Monstre Gai and Malign Fiesta, is a true first edition published in 1955. The first volume, Childermass, was originally published in 1928 but is presented here in the 1956 Methuen edition; the first edition thus, uniformly reissued by the publisher to accompany the new sequels.

Both volumes are profoundly enhanced by the brooding, avant-garde illustrations and striking dust jacket artwork of British artist Michael Ayrton, whose aesthetic brilliantly mirrors Lewis's purgatorial vision.

Finding a matched, two-volume Methuen set retaining both original Ayrton dust jackets is uncommonly difficult on the open market, as they are most frequently encountered as disparate, individual volumes.

Wyndham Lewis’s The Human Age is a radical, visionary, and fiercely experimental theological epic, frequently heralded as the modernist counterpart to Dante’s Divine Comedy. The saga begins in Childermass with the posthumous journey of two Englishmen, Pullman and Satterthwaite, who navigate a bizarre, purgatorial wasteland while awaiting entrance to the Magnetic City. In the subsequent books, Monstre Gai and Malign Fiesta, their surreal odyssey takes them into a terrifying, authoritarian underworld ruled by the demonic Bailiff, plunging them straight into the heart of Hell. Dazzling, satirical, and deeply unsettling, Lewis’s masterpiece stands as one of the most ambitious and uncompromising achievements in twentieth-century literature.

Book Condition: Very Good

Book Authors: Wyndham Lewis

Book Publisher: Methuen & Co. Ltd.

Book Language: English

Narrative Type: Fiction

Genre: Modern Fiction

Book edition: First Edition

Signed: No

Book Pages:

Book Publication Year: 19551956

Book Publication Date:

Book Binding: Hardcover

Illustrator: Michael Ayrton

Book Series: The Human Age

Country/region of manufacture: London, United Kingdom

Book Dimensions:

Book Condition Guide

We stock thousands of books in a wide range of conditions. To make things clear and to help you know exactly what to expect, Please refer to these condition categories to understand the condition of the book you will receive.

Condition	Description
New	A brand-new, unread and professionally handled book. Carefully preserved from publication to purchase, these books are offered in the best attainable condition. This grade applies to recently published titles that have not entered long-term storage.
As New	The book is in pristine, original condition as if just published. No signs of use or handling. The dust jacket (if present) is equally flawless. This grade applies to any book that has remained untouched in storage for years.
Fine	The book is close to As New. It remains bright and attractive, but could show minor imperfections to the boards and/or dust jacket (if present). Its pages are typically clean and unmarked.
Near Fine	The book has a number of small flaws, i.e. slight rubbing to the edges, or tiny chips or creases to the dust jacket (if present). Its pages may have faint marks, or creases that are barely perceptible — nothing that detracts from their overall condition.
Very Good	The book maintains its structural integrity, and has no major flaws such as tears to its binding or pages. It may, however, show signs of careful use, handling, or storage — small marks and creases, light foxing. Its dust jacket (if present) remains fully intact, but small tears may be present.
Good	A book that remains intact and readable with complete text pages, but shows moderate signs of wear and use to both the book and dust jacket (if present). It may have noticeable creases, nicks, or stains, and the spine likely shows fading, bumping, and rubbing. There could be writing, underlining, and other marks on some pages, though the majority will be clean and tidy.
Fair	A book with significant wear or damage. The text pages will be complete, but there may be heavy underlining, highlighting and staining throughout, and the book’s endpapers, half-title, and copyright pages could be damaged or missing. The binding could be loose, and the dust jacket (if present) may have notable scuffs or tears. These copies are usually of interest for content, signature(s) or scarcity.
Poor	A heavily worn book whose value lies in its complete and legible text. A poor book will have substantial defects — loose joints or hinges, detached covers, loose and/or missing pages, and could be heavily soiled. A poor book is also known as a reading copy, and although compromised, can hold historical or bibliographic significance.