Greene, Graham (Wilmot, John)

Lord Rochester's Monkey

ISBN: 0670440558
New York, NY, USA: Viking Press, 1974. First Edition. Hardcover. "John Wilmot, Second Earl of Rochester (1647-1680), was the most notorious of the Restoration rakes. He was also a fine lyrical and satirical poet whose work- in Graham Greene's opinion- has been underestimated because it was overshadowed by his life of lechery and drunkenness, wild pranks and practical jokes, and death-bed repentance. At Court, King Charles II suffered but respected Rochester's biting satires, joined in some of his erotic escapades, forgave his embarrassing japes, and rewarded him with distinctions...yet the last thirteen years of Rochester's short life were "clouded by the fumes of drink" and were marked by outrageous buffoonery, an abortive duel, and literary quarrels that threatened to wreck his undoubted gifts of friendship. These notorious episodes, no less than the religious scruples that culminated in his deathbed call...characterize the mental and psychological conflict which was the source of Rochester's finest poetry." (from front flap) A critical-historical biography of the life, mileu & work of John Wilmot, Second Earl of Rochester (1647-1680) by Graham Greene (1904-1991), the prolific & canonical British author. Greene's rich, scholarly-yet-accessible prose is enhanced with many captioned contemporary historical images of Rochester, his circles, society & manuscipts throughout. Hardcover in clipped first-issue dust jacket (with "0974" printed at front flap), first edition, first printing "Published in 1974/ by The Viking Press, Inc." as stated on copyright page, produced in Great Britain- a large, beautiful production. From the collection of Laurence Goldstein (1943-2023), a renowned American poet, film scholar, editor & academician here at the University of Michigan. A most-rewarding & fascinating Greene collectible in its scarce, rarest contemporary form with distinguished provenance. Book in relatively quite fine condition with light fading to brown-cloth front, back covers & spine esp. at/near edges & corners (gilt letters at spine mostly bright & intact); mild rubbing, browning to side & lower edges of text block; slight fading, occasional faint scratching to lightly yellow-dyed upper edge of same. Interior fine-to-very-fine with mild browning to page leaves esp. at blank margins/edges; occasional spotting at blank margins of a few leaves; tiny bumps at corners of a few leaves. Dust jacket (again relatively) good-to-near-fine with mild rubbing, faint scratching & a touch of browning to front, back covers, spine & flaps; mild wear & some tiny bumps, creases at edges & corners of same; more pronounced & with some very small chips, mostly closed tears at upper edges/corners with slight loss of paper, surface paper. Fine / Good-Near Fine. [Item #7226]

Price: $75.00