A RUSSIAN SOUL IN FINE PRESS

Dostoevsky, Fyodor (1821–1881); Translated by Garnett, Constance (1861–1946)

A Gentle Spirit: A Fantastic Story. [Harrison of Paris] [Limited Edition of 50]

Paris: Harrison of Paris [Minton, Balch and Company], 1931. Illustrations by Christian Berard. Limited Edition of 50.
A STUNNING HARRISON OF PARIS PRODUCTION PRESENTING DOSTOEVSKY'S CLASSIC NOVELLA IN A LIMITED VELLUM EDITION OF FIFTY COPIES.

A STORY OF ISOLATION AND INNER LIFE.
Originally published as Krotkaya (The Meek One), Dostoevsky’s novella presents the final confession of a man confronting the consequences of pride, loneliness, and emotional blindness. Through its intense psychological structure, the work examines guilt, despair, and the possibility of spiritual recognition.

Constance Garnett’s translation introduced generations of English-speaking readers to Dostoevsky’s shorter fiction and helped establish his enduring literary reputation in the English-language world.

THE MODERN BEAUTIFUL BOOK.
Harrison of Paris, under the direction of Monroe Wheeler, sought to unite important literary works with exceptional typography, materials, and artistic collaboration. This limited vellum issue demonstrates the press’s interest in presenting major authors through the lens of twentieth-century design.

Christian Bérard’s illustrations bring a distinctly modern interpretation to Dostoevsky’s psychological atmosphere, connecting Russian literary tradition with the artistic currents of interwar Paris.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Octavo, approximately 9.75 inches tall. Bound in full vellum. Illustrated with mounted plates by Christian Bérard. Printed and made in Germany by arrangement with William Heinemann, New York. 85 pages. Copy number XV (15) of 50 copies printed on Imperial Japanese vellum.

CONDITION: Fine. The vellum is remarkably clean and supple, with no significant warping or discoloration. The mounted illustrations are pristine. The text block is bright and sharp. An exceptional example retaining the elegance intended by the publisher.

LITERARY SIGNIFICANCE: DOSTOEVSKY THROUGH A MODERN LENS—THE HUMAN SOUL EXAMINED.
Fyodor Dostoevsky remains one of the defining figures of world literature, recognized for his penetrating examinations of morality, psychology, faith, and human suffering. A Gentle Spirit represents the author’s later short fiction, compressing many of the themes that shaped his major novels into a concentrated psychological narrative.

A PARISIAN REINTERPRETATION.
This 1931 Harrison of Paris edition appeared during a period when European and American publishers were exploring new relationships between literature, design, and visual art. By pairing Dostoevsky’s psychological intensity with Christian Bérard’s modernist illustrations, Monroe Wheeler created an edition that reflects both literary heritage and contemporary artistic vision.

The result is not simply a presentation of a classic text, but an interpretation of Dostoevsky through the aesthetics of interwar fine printing.

SUBJECTS: Fyodor Dostoevsky; Constance Garnett; Christian Bérard; Monroe Wheeler; Harrison of Paris; Russian Fiction; Literary Translation; Fine Printing; Imperial Japanese Vellum; Modernist Illustration; Interwar Paris; Private Press Books, Fine Press; Russian Literature; Illustrated Books; Limited Editions; Translated Literature; Modernist Books.

Item #20466

Price: $1,600.00