Meredith, George

Odes in Contribution to the Songs of French History

Westminster: Archibald Constable and Co. 1898. Hard Cover. First Edition. This was Arthur Symons's copy, with the half-title covered by his manuscript comments on the book. These comments were amended and used in the opening of his essay "George Meredith as a Poet," which was included in his 1916 work, Figures of Several Centuries. In the handwritten comments and essay he writes that "Meredith has suffered from the curse of too much ability." He has ...talent, but his talent, instead of acting as a counterpoise, to the genius, has blown it yet more wildly around the air. He has almost all the qualityes of a great writer, but some perverse spirit in his blood has mixed them to their mutual undoing...." Symons in fact was a close friend of Meredith, and acted both as a sound critic and warm admirer. Bound in the original brown pebbled cloth with gilt lettering to darkened spine. Light bumping to corners. Interior pages show some aging but clean and tight. A unique copy in very good condition. 94 pages plus 16 pages of ads. POE/060712. Very Good.