The Siren and Selected Writings, Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa — 1st Ed

£35.00

The Siren and Selected Writings, Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa — 1st Ed

Name: The Siren and Selected Writings, Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa — 1st Ed
Brand: Broadhursts Books
SKU: 6353
Price: 35.00 GBP
Availability: InStock

Write Review

In stock

£35.00

Shipping is calculated at checkout.

Publication: London, The Harvill Press, 1995

Formatting: 8vo, pp. [viii], 184.

Condition Report: Near Fine. The claret cloth binding remains exceptionally tight and square, displaying no discernible shelf-wear, rubbing, or bumping to the extremities. The gilt tooling and publisher's motif to the spine are brilliantly bright and entirely unoxidised, maintaining their original lustre. Internally, the text block is pristine, with the pages remaining crisp, bright, and free from any foxing or age-toning. The original dust jacket presents beautifully, completely free of edge-wear, chips, or creases, retaining its vibrant front panel artwork and un-faded spine colouring.

Catalogue Note: This is a first edition, second impression of this collection, bringing together the author's celebrated shorter works. The volume includes the renowned title story, 'The Professor and the Siren', alongside 'Places of my Infancy', 'The Blind Kittens', 'Joy and the Law', and selected essays on English Literature and Stendhal, featuring translations by Archibald Colquhoun, David Gilmour, and Guido Waldman.

The book is securely bound in the attractive claret cloth with the distinctive leopard motif stamped in gilt to the spine. While early impressions of this compilation do surface on the open market, locating a copy in such well-preserved, near-pristine condition remains uncommon.

The Siren and Selected Writings gathers the surviving short works of Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, the masterful Sicilian author best known for his posthumous masterpiece, The Leopard. At its centre is 'The Professor and the Siren', a hauntingly beautiful and melancholic tale of a young writer's encounter with an aging Hellenist who recounts a transcendent, mythic romance with a mermaid in his youth. Blending evocative memory, classical mythology, and the sun-drenched, fading grandeur of the Sicilian landscape, this collection showcases Lampedusa's exquisite prose and his profound meditation on love, decay, and the inescapable weight of history.

Book Condition: Near Fine

Book Authors: Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa

Book Publisher: The Harvill Press

Book Language: English

Narrative Type: Fiction

Genre: Modern Fiction

Book edition: First Edition

Signed: No

Book Pages: 184

Book Publication Year: 1995

Book Publication Date:

Book Binding: Hardcover

Illustrator: N/A

Book Series: N/A

Country/region of manufacture: Bodmin, Cornwall, 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.