Tag Archives: Old Books

A Bookstore is Gone, Long Live the Books! Part 2–A Literary Chronicle: 1920-1950 by Edmund Wilson

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A local used bookstore recently closed after 25 years. They had a fantastic going-out-of-business sale. While part of me feels “guilty” for taking advantage of their sad circumstances, the rest (and logical) part of me knows that they needed to sell as many books as possible. Through these books, a bit of their entrepreneurial and intellectual spirit will live on. With that idea in mind, I’m doing a limited-run series where I’ll spotlight each of the volumes I “adopted” from this sweet little shop. Shine on, you bookish gems!

Today’s selection? A Literary Chronicle: 1920-1950 by Edmund Wilson.

A Literary Chronicle: 1920-1950 by Edmund Wilson

DETAILS:

  • TITLE: THE LITERARY CHRONICLE: 1920-1950
  • AUTHOR: EDMUND WILSON
  • YEAR PUBLISHED: 1956
  • DOUBLEDAY ANCHOR BOOKS
  • COVER AND TYPOGRAPHY: EDWARD GOREY
  • SHOUT-OUT TO “CHARLES D. KLAPP,” WHO OWNED THIS COPY IN 1957. THANKS FOR WRITING YOUR NAME IN THE BOOK!

WHY I BOUGHT IT:

I like Edmund Wilson, sue me. I don’t always agree with his pronouncements (far from it), but I appreciate his style. The elegant cover (by my beloved Edward Gorey!) makes this book a beautiful visual addition to my collection.

Thanks for reading! I hope you like the new series. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Daily Diversion #258: Girl About Town

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My newest old book treasure:

Girl About Town

Girl About Town by Katherine Pent

“Mary Gunter always prided herself on being equal to all emergencies. Life had taught her that they appeared round the most unexpected corners. Her own life in particular had been full of them. It had started over a newsagent’s shop off Edgware Road, and her pious hope had been that it would end in a mansion in Mayfair or a large estate in the country.”-Katherine Pent, Girl About Town

Daily Diversion #219: My Book Family Keeps Growing, One Old Volume at a Time

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Please welcome the newest member of my book family. A Western with a lovely cover, it’s at least mildly appropriate that I bought it at the State Fair. Note: The Antique Barn is next to the building where they display chickens, ducks, turkeys, and rabbits.

The Winning of Barbara Worth

The Winning of Barbara Worth by Harold Bell Wright. It was first published in 1911.

Fifteen years later, it was turned into a silent film starring Vilma Banky, Ronald Colman, and a fresh upstart named Gary Cooper in his first substantive role (but more on that another day).

“Not a line of Jefferson Worth’s countenance changed as the tall surveyor, pushing his way through the crowd about the new arrivals, greeted him. But Abe Lee felt the man from behind his gray mask reaching out to grasp his innermost thoughts and emotions.”-The Winning of Barbara Worth, Harold Bell Wright

Daily Diversion #145: Party Like It’s 1912?

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My sister-in-law Laura gave me this nifty old book as a housewarming gift. It was printed in 1912.

The Book of Parties and Pastimes

The Book of Parties and Pastimes

We are hosting a big party in 3 weeks, so this will come in handy! We are going to foist at least one of the frivolities detailed in this book on our guests. There are so  many to choose from, including:

  • An Alpine Adventure
  • A Novel Cakewalk
  • A Grown-Up Mother Goose Party (ha!)
  • A Peanut Frolic
  • A Musical Burlesque
  • To Meet Our Presidents
  • A Radium Party (oh, my)
  • Some Novel Dances
  • A Deep Sea Dinner

How could any of these possibly go wrong?