“SPARKLES WITH LIGHT AND COLOR”: LIMITED EDITION OF THE GOLDEN ASS, ILLUSTRATED AND SIGNED BY PERCIVAL GOODMAN

(GOODMAN, Percival, illustrator) (LINDSAY, Jack, translator) APULEIUS, Lucius. The Golden Ass. New York: Limited Editions Club (Harbor Press), 1932. Tall octavo, original full donkey hide gilt, patterned endpapers, top edge gilt, uncut, original slipcase. $700.

Signed limited edition of accomplished translator Jack Lindsay’s rendition of the only classical Latin novel to survive in its entirety, number 75 of 1500 copies signed by illustrator and noted architect Percival Goodman.

One of world literature’s true masterpieces, The Golden Ass is “a satirical and fantastic moral romance, the adventures of one Lucius, who is transformed into an ass, and under that disguise, has the amplest opportunities of observing, undetected, the preposterous doings of mankind… Of the many episodes interwoven into the story, the most interesting is the beautiful allegorical fairy tale of Cupid and Psyche, so much used by later poets and artists” (Peck, 104). This handsome private-press edition illustrated with line cuts by Percival Goodman—best known for his architectural designs, particularly of synagogues, as well as his work in urban theory—in the open style of Calder and Karlin. Translator Jack Lindsay was also a respected historical novelist. With original glassine dust jacket laid in. LEC 37.

A fine copy in a lightly rubbed, near-fine slipcase.