The Wind in the Willows. Illustrations by Nancy Barhart

by GRAHAME, Kenneth. [BARNHART, Nancy]

[30 Day Return Guarantee] Price: £5,000.00 ($ 8328.50)

Book Description

London, Methuen and Co., 1922. FIRST NANCY BARNHART EDITION, SIGNED BY GRAHAME. pp304 + 8 [adverts]. Bound in publisher's mid blue buckram, pictured in black and titled in gilt. With 12 coloured plates. Near fine, but for a tiny amount of rubbing to extremities, some minor soil, previous ownership inscriptions to endpaper. With the author's signature, a little shaky, appearing on the half title. AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE SIGNATURE from the reclusive and tragic Kenneth Grahame, obtained during his most isolated period. The overwhelming majority of signed books from this author are Limited Editions. Trade copies bearing his autograph are truly scarce. Kenneth Grahame (1859-1932), banker, essayist and successful author of 'The Golden Age' (1895) and 'Dream Days' (1898), had effectively given up writing by the turn of the twentieth century, much to the disappointment of his publisher. He did, however, continue to make up stories for the amusement of his only son, the partially-sighted Alistair, known as 'mouse'. The first such story was requested by the child, who asked for a bedtime story about 'a rat, a mole and a giraffe.' Grahame was supposed to be downstairs, attending to his dinner guests, but instead told a story about animals having a picnic by the river. The maid overheard the story and later told Elspeth (Mrs. Grahame) about it. The stories continued and a 'Toad' character developed. When Mouse went away in 1907 the tales continued in correspondance. The maid, showing considerable foresight, preserved all the letters, which chronicle Mr Toad's adventures in almost the same words they would later be published in, under the title 'The Wind in the Willows'. The letters make up the second half of the book, in which Toad steals a motorcar and lands himself in prison, only to be saved by the kindly gaoler's daughter. The book was first published in 1908 and, whilst it did not receive instant acclaim, its reputation grew quickly and it soon became a classic, establishing Grahame's international reputation as a writer of children's books and has deeply influenced the fantasy literature genre ever since. Following its publication, Grahame retired from his work as Secretary to the Bank of England due to both peer pressue and poor health, and he and his wife became even more reclusive, completely withdrawing from the public eye by the outbreak of the Great War, and ceasing to write altogether by the end of that campaign. Alistair 'Mouse' Grahame also had difficulties, particularly overcoming his shyness and dealing with blindness, and he suffered a breakdown whilst an undergraduate at Oxford. His condition deteriorated and Alistair committed suicide two days before his 20th birthday; he died under a train. Although the coroner reported an accidental verdict, the nature of injuries indicated that he was already lying on the rails. However, Alistair inadvertently made life easier for visually impaired students, because the practice of oral exams was established specifically for him. The events were devastating for the parents who spent the rest of their life in idleness; Elspeth became haggard, and Kenneth lived completely in his fantasy world, spending long hours by the river, talking to otters and water rats. He shunned society more than his creation, Mr Badger, had ever done. The only time the Grahames were seen in public was at church fêtes, where Kenneth could be seen selling wicker baskets, and Elspeth famously sold her deceased son's clothes. Grahame died in Pangbourne, Berkshire, on July 6, 1932. Although written a quarter of a century before his death, 'The Wind In the Willows' would became the author's final work. Listed in The Observer; All-Time 100 Best Novels [2003], also Modern Library; Top 100 Novels [1998], BBC Big Read (200 Best Novels) [2003].

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