The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. A Story for Children -
C. S. Lewis, Pauline Baynes (illustrator)
1950 - Geoffrey Bles, London - First Edition
‘Once a king or queen of Narnia, always a king or queen of Narnia.’
A finely bound first edition, of the first novel in the Chronicles of Narnia, which C.S. Lewis had beautifully dedicated to his goddaughter Lucy, ‘I wrote this story for you, but when I began I had not realised that girls grow quicker than books... but some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again...’
Magically illustrated throughout by Pauline Baynes, a close friend of J. R. R. Tolkien, after Lewis had admired Baynes's illustrations for Tolkien's ‘Farmer Giles of Ham’. Listed in Time Magazine's 100 Best Modern Novels.
Clive Staples Lewis (1898–1963) was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably one of the most influential writers of his day. He was a Fellow and Tutor in English Literature at Oxford University until 1954, when he was unanimously elected to the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge University, a position he held until his retirement. He wrote more than thirty books, his most distinguished and popular accomplishments include ‘Out of the Silent Planet’, ‘The Great Divorce’, ‘The Screwtape Letters’, and the universally acknowledged classic series ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’. To date, the Narnia books have sold over 100 million copies and have been transformed into three major motion pictures.
Octavo (binding size 20.6x14.7cm), pp. [2] 173 [5]. Bound by the Abbey Bookbindery of Farnborough, in three-quarter black morocco over marbled boards, spine in six compartments and raised bands, gilt decoration and rule, and twin burgundy morocco labels lettered in gilt, beige endpapers. With matching bespoke black cloth slipcase. Condition: Fine, but for a short closed tear to head of page 149, in fine binding and slipcase. Ref: 112646 Price: HK$ 40,000
A finely bound first edition, of the first novel in the Chronicles of Narnia, which C.S. Lewis had beautifully dedicated to his goddaughter Lucy, ‘I wrote this story for you, but when I began I had not realised that girls grow quicker than books... but some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again...’
Magically illustrated throughout by Pauline Baynes, a close friend of J. R. R. Tolkien, after Lewis had admired Baynes's illustrations for Tolkien's ‘Farmer Giles of Ham’. Listed in Time Magazine's 100 Best Modern Novels.
Clive Staples Lewis (1898–1963) was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably one of the most influential writers of his day. He was a Fellow and Tutor in English Literature at Oxford University until 1954, when he was unanimously elected to the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge University, a position he held until his retirement. He wrote more than thirty books, his most distinguished and popular accomplishments include ‘Out of the Silent Planet’, ‘The Great Divorce’, ‘The Screwtape Letters’, and the universally acknowledged classic series ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’. To date, the Narnia books have sold over 100 million copies and have been transformed into three major motion pictures.
Octavo (binding size 20.6x14.7cm), pp. [2] 173 [5]. Bound by the Abbey Bookbindery of Farnborough, in three-quarter black morocco over marbled boards, spine in six compartments and raised bands, gilt decoration and rule, and twin burgundy morocco labels lettered in gilt, beige endpapers. With matching bespoke black cloth slipcase. Condition: Fine, but for a short closed tear to head of page 149, in fine binding and slipcase. Ref: 112646 Price: HK$ 40,000