Tolkien's Gown and Other Stories of Great Authors and Rare Books

Constable and Robinson, 1994. In good condition with DW.

An irresistible mix of droll humour, shrewd literary criticism and fascinating anecdote... the perfect bedside book for bibliophiles... In Tolkien's Gown, a book based loosely on that hugely successful radio series, Gekoski discusses twenty great works of modern literature as both texts and objects. At once erudite and funny, the essays give a publishing biography of each book, together with comments about the author's involvement with first editions of the works. 'What is the value of a book?' he asks. The answers are both critical and financial, involving appraisals of the literary qualities of the works, together with an account of their (sometimes surprising) value in the rare book trade.