Tanglewood Tales - Illustrated by Virginia Frances Sterrett - Hawthorne, Nathaniel

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Résumé :
Tanglewood Tales for Boys and Girls' is a book written by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804 - 1864), and forms the sequel to 'A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys'. It is a masterful re-writing of well-known Greek myths, all presented in one volume, for a younger audience. Hawthorne originally penned the work, after a visit from his young friend Eustace Bright, who requested a sequel to the Wonder Book. It contains the myths of 'The Minotaur', 'The Pygmies', 'The Dragon's Teeth' 'Circe's Palace', 'The Pomegranate Seeds' and 'The Golden Fleece'. These classic stories in 'Tanglewood Tales' are accompanied by the truly beautiful illustrations of Virginia Frances Sterrett (1900 - 1931). Presented alongside the text, her illustrations further refine and elucidate Hawthorne's masterful storytelling. Sterrett was an American artist and illustrator - one of the most talented, though also most tragic, of the 'Golden Age' illustrators. Sterrett's illustrations are delicate yet powerful, inspired by the tradition of Art Nouveaux with its light washes of colour and sinuous black lines. She only completed three works in her lifetime, due to her early death from tuberculosis at the age of thirty-one. These include Old French Fairy Tales (1920), Tanglewood Tales (1921) and Arabian Nights (1928). Pook Press celebrates the great 'Golden Age of Illustration' in children's classics and fairy tales - a period of unparalleled excellence in book illustration. We publish rare and vintage Golden Age illustrated books, in high-quality colour editions, so that the masterful artwork and story-telling can continue to delight both young and old.

Biographie:
Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804 - 1864) was an American novelist, dark romantic and short story writer. He was born in 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts to Nathaniel Hathorne and the former Elizabeth Clarke Manning. His ancestors include John Hathorne, the only judge involved in the Salem witch trials who never repented of his actions. He entered Bowdoin College in 1821, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa in 1824 and graduated in 1825. He published his first work in 1828, the novel Fanshawe; he later tried to suppress it, feeling that it was not equal to the standard of his later work. He published several short stories in periodicals, which he collected in 1837 as Twice-Told Tales. The next year, he became engaged to Sophia Peabody. He worked at the Boston Custom House and joined Brook Farm, a transcendentalist community, before marrying Peabody in 1842. The Scarlet Letter was published in 1850, followed by a succession of other novels. A political appointment as consul took Hawthorne and family to Europe before their return to Concord in 1860. Hawthorne died on May 19, 1864, and was survived by his wife and their three children. Much of Hawthorne's writing centers on New England, many works featuring moral metaphors with an anti-Puritan inspiration. His fiction works are considered part of the Romantic movement and, more specifically, dark romanticism. His themes often center on the inherent evil and sin of humanity and his works often have moral messages and deep psychological complexity. His published works include novels, short stories and a biography of his college friend Franklin Pierce, the 14th President of the United States.