[Rarebooks] Offering: A few by Mervyn Peake.

[Michael John Thompson]

A few by Mervyn Peake. Prices net in Canadian or 
US dollars (at par). Trade discounts as usual.

PEAKE, Mervyn., TITUS GROAN. WITH AN INTRODUCTION 
BY ANTHONY BURGESS., London: Eyre & Spottiswoode. 
[1968]. First illustrated edition. Large octavo, 
original green cloth titled in gilt on spine. 
[506] pp. With four full-page black & white 
plates on glossy paper inserted throughout the 
text and numerous lines drawings within the text, 
plus dust wrapper illustration, all by Peake. The 
first edition to bear these illustrations; the 
first edition of 1946 was not illustrated. Tiny 
[1/16th inch] closed tear at base of front spine 
hinge, minute bunp in thesame spot; a fine, 
bright copy in a fine, bright dust wrapper with 
no browning or soiling to the white paper stock. 
An exceptional copy. ¶ Fantasy. The first volume 
of Peake's GORMENGHAST TRILOGY, a gothic and 
macabre fantasy novel set in an alternate world. $150.00

PEAKE, Mervyn., A REVERIE OF BONE AND OTHER 
POEMS. DRAWINGS BY THE AUTHOR., London: Bertram 
Rota. 1967. First edition. 320 numbered copies, 
300 of which are for sale, this being copy No. 
48. SPECIALLY BOUND IN FULL VELLUM, spine titled 
in gilt, laid paper endpapers, original wrappers 
bound in. Obviously a publisher's binding, the 
likelyhood of anything else seems slim. Minor 
bowing to the vellum, a fine copy. $450.00

PEAKE, Mervyn., FIGURES OF SPEECH., London: 
Victor Gollancz Limited. [1954]. First edition. 
Square octavo, original red board titled in gilt 
on spine. [30] pp. very light foxing to page 
edges, a near fine copy in a near fine dust 
jacket which has minor soiling to rear panel. An 
excellent copy. ¶ Illustrated with full-page 
drawings by Peake on every page "Each drawing 
represents a particular Figure of Speech. if you 
cannot identify them, you will fine a key at the end of the book." $75.00

PEAKE, Mervyn., TITUS GROAN. A GOTHIC NOVEL., New 
York: Reynal & Hitchcock. [1946]. First edition. 
Octavo, original gray cloth titled in red on 
spine and front panel.430 pp. Label partially 
removed from front free endpaper and one small 
lending library stamp (from Winnepeg, Manitoba). 
Spine a trifle browned, a very good, clean copy 
without dust jacket. ¶ First volume of peake's 
acclaimed GORMENGHAST trilogy. $25.00

PEAKE, Mervyn., A BOOK OF NONSENSE., London: 
Peter Owen.[1972]. First edition. Octavo, 
original gray boards titled in gilt on spine, 
orange endpapers. 87 pp. Illustrations throughout 
by Peake. About a fine copy in a lightly rubbed 
dust jacket. ¶ Collection of writings and 
drawings by Peake, collected by his widow, Maeve Gilmore. $30.00

PEAKE, Mervyn. WATNEY, John., MERVYN PEAKE BY 
JOHN WATNEY., New York: St. Martin's Press. 
[1976]. First American edition. Octavo, original 
boards. 255 pp., Illustrated, Index. A very good 
clean copy in a near fine dust wrapper, 
price-clipped. ¶ Biography of Peake, best known 
for his GORMENGHAST trilogy. $30.00

PEAKE, Mervyn; BATCHELOR, John., MERVYN PEAKE. A 
BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL EXPLORATION BY JOHN 
BATCHELOR., [London]: Duckworth. [1974]. First 
edition. Octavo, original red cloth, gilt titles 
to spine. 176 pp, Index. Small price sticker 
removed from front free endpaper, a fine copy in 
a very good dust jacket, small bit of lamination 
peel at base of front panel, spine panel faded as 
usual with this title. ¶ Biographical and 
critical work on the great Peake, author of the 
acclaimed 'Gormenghast' trilogy. $25.00

PEAKE, Mervyn; BATCHELOR, John., MERVYN PEAKE. A 
BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL EXPLORATION, BY JOHN 
BATCHELOR., [London]: Duckworth. [1974]. First 
edition. Octavo, original red cloth, gilt titles 
to spine. 176 pp, Index. Small price sticker 
removed from front free endpaper, a fine copy in 
a fine dust jacket with none of the usual fading 
to the spine panel, almost inevitable with this 
title. Certainly uncommon thus. ¶ Biographical 
and critical work on the great Peake, author of 
the acclaimed 'Gormenghast' trilogy. $47.50

PEAKE, Mervyn; CARROLL, Lewis., THE HUNTING OF 
THE SNARK. AN AGONY IN EIGHT FITS. BY LEWIS 
CARROLL. ILLUSTRATED BY MERVYN PEAKE., [London]: 
[Chatto & Windus - A Zodiac Book]. 1941. Reprint. 
Small octavo (12mo?). Original pictorial yellow 
boards. 44 pp, Illustrated title page, 
illustrations throughout by Peake. Good only - 
the spine panel is lacking (well, it's half 
present and laid in loose...). Otherwise a decent 
copy of an attractive book. ¶ $20.00

PEAKE, Mervyn; LAING, Allan M., PRAYERS AND 
GRACES. A LITTLE BOOK OF EXTRAORDINARY PIETY. 
COLLECTED BY ALLAN M. LAING. WITH ILLUSTRATIONS 
BY MERVYN PEAKE., London: Victor Gollancz Ltd. 
1944. First edition. 12mo, original blue cloth, 
gilt titles on spine, gilt decoration by peake on 
front cover. [64] pp. Very good, nearly fine copy 
in dust jacket lightly tanned on spine panel, 
small chips at head of spine. Quite a nice copy. 
¶ Verses, each one with a full-page illustration by Peake. $45.00

PEAKE, Mervyn; PEAKE, Sebastian., A CHILD OF 
BLISS. GROWING UP WITH MERVYN PEAKE, BY SEBASTIAN 
PEAKE., [Oxford]: Lennard Publishing. 1989. First 
edition. Octavo, original black boards titled in 
gilt on spine. 138 pp, illustrated with both 
drawings and photographs. A fine copy in like 
dust jacket, price corner clipped. ¶ Biographical 
account of growing up with Mervyn Peake, by his son Sebastian. $20.00

PEAKE, Mervyn; WINNINGTON, G. Peter [ed]., PEAKE 
STUDIES. DEDICATED TO THE LIFE AND WORK OF MERVYN 
PEAKE (1911-1968). VOL. 3, NO. 3; WINTER 1993., 
Vaud, Switzerland: G. Peter Winnington. 1993. 1st 
ed. Oblong octavo, original printed wrappers, 
stapled at spine. 47 pp. Very good clean copy, no 
creases to covers. Scarce journal. Contents 
include an Editorial, 'The Impact of Mervyn Peake 
on his Readers' by G. Peter Winnington; 'The 
Chinese Puzzle of Mervyn Peake' by laurence 
Bristow-Smith; News Roundup. $20.00




---
Michael John Thompson
ABAC / ILAB
5275 Jerow Road
Hornby Island, BC
Canada V0R 1Z0
250-335-1182

http://www.ThompsonRareBooks.com
http://www.BeltaneBooks.com
http://www.Mjtbooks.com