Goethe's Faust

220 West 42nd Street, New York: Hartsdale House, 1948. No date; circa 1948. Light grey cloth boards, gemetric patterned vine design, brown and gilt spine titles, moderate shelf wear, toning. Pages very good; no writing. Bind fine; hinges intact. Illustrated throughout w/the enigmatic, art nouveau, gothic imagery of the beloved Harry Clarke. Rare dust wrapper, moderate edge wear, rub; protected in clear sleeve. Black jacket fatures titles over bold red, yellow and white stripes. Translated in the original metres by Bayard Taylor. Goethe’s masterpiece and perhaps the greatest work in German literature, Faust has made the legendary German alchemist one of the central myths of the Western world. Faust, an audacious man, boldly wagering with the devil, Mephistopheles, that no magic, sensuality, experience, or knowledge can lead him to a moment he would wish to last forever. The tremendous versatility of Goethe’s genius creates some of the most beautiful passages in literature. We experience Goethe’s characteristic humor, the excitement and eroticism of the witches’ Walpurgis Night, and the moving emotion of Gretchen’s tragic fate. Faust began this work at 23, and completed it 60 years later, at 93. Printed in the United States of America. 251 pages. Insured post.. First Edition Thus. Hard Cover. Very Good/Very Good. Illus. by Clarke, Harry. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" Tall.