Zuleika Dobson Beerbohm Heritage Press 1960

📖 Zuleika Dobson by Max Beerbohm (1960, Heritage Press) — Beerbohm’s only novel, a wickedly comic satire of Edwardian Oxford where every undergraduate falls hopelessly in love with the beautiful Zuleika. This Heritage Press edition features 96 illustrations by George Him and comes in the original slipcase with the Sandglass companion pamphlet.

QUICK FACTS

• Author: Max Beerbohm (1872–1956), English essayist and satirist
• Publisher: Heritage Press (The George Macy Companies), New York
• Year: 1960 (original copyright 1911, Dodd, Mead and Company)
• Illustrator: George Him — 96 line drawings
• Format: Hardcover in original slipcase
• Pages: ~300 | ISBN: None (pre-ISBN era)
• Condition: Book VG+/NF, Slipcase VG — full report below

THE STORY

Set during Eights Week at the fictional Judas College, Oxford, Zuleika Dobson follows the arrival of Zuleika, a conjurer, whose beauty so overwhelms the undergraduates that they all fall in love with her — including the Duke of Dorset. What follows is a wildly improbable chain of events that descends from romantic comedy into genuine tragedy, rendered in Beerbohm’s characteristically elegant and razor-sharp prose.

Published in 1911, the novel was Beerbohm’s only full-length work of fiction. He was already celebrated as the wittiest man in England — Oscar Wilde called him &#821cthe greatest artist of his generation&#821d — and Zuleika Dobson proved he could sustain that wit across an entire novel. The book remains a beloved classic of comic fiction and one of the finest Oxford novels ever written.

THIS EDITION

The Heritage Press published this edition in 1960 under arrangement with Dodd, Mead and Company. The George Macy Companies — parent of both Heritage Press and The Limited Editions Club — produced it with care: 96 original illustrations by George Him, a cloth binding with decorative spine stamps, and the characteristic Heritage Press slipcase. This copy also includes the Sandglass, the small companion pamphlet that Heritage Press issued with each title, containing production notes and bibliographic details.

ILLUSTRATIONS

George Him‛s 96 illustrations fill the novel with visual wit to match Beerbohm‛s prose. Rendered in black and white line drawing, the illustrations are full of caricature and energy — whimsical figures in academic gowns, Oxford spires, and exaggerated comic scenes that capture the absurdity of Beerbohm‛s plot. The front cover features a striking linocut-style Oxford tower on cream cloth, and the spine is decorated with charming circular motifs including owls, moons, and teacups.

WHY IT MATTERS

• Beerbohm’s only novel — and one of the great comic achievements of English literature
• George Him (1910–1986) was a Polish-born British illustrator known for his work with Penguin Books, the Festival of Britain, and numerous landmark illustration projects
• The Heritage Press editions are collectible for their production quality, illustrations, and Sandglass supplements — this 1960 printing is the standard collectible edition of this title

FREQUENTLY ASKED

What edition is this? Heritage Press, 1960, under arrangement with the original publisher Dodd, Mead and Company. Illustrated by George Him with 96 line drawings. Includes original slipcase and Sandglass pamphlet.

What condition is it in? Book is Very Good+ to Near Fine; slipcase is Very Good with minor edge rubbing and one small surface scuff. Full report below.

Is this a first edition? No — the first edition was published by Dodd, Mead and Company in 1911. This is the 1960 Heritage Press illustrated edition, which is the standard collectible edition of the novel.

FOR COLLECTORS

The 1960 Heritage Press edition with George Him‛s illustrations is the most widely collected version of Zuleika Dobson. The Sandglass pamphlet is a nice bonus — these companion pieces are often missing from secondhand copies. The cloth binding with its decorative spine stamps is distinctive and attractive on a shelf.

The cloth binding is clean with vibrant stamping. The spine shows minimal wear at the head and tail, consistent with careful shelf storage. The slipcase shows only minor rubbing to edges, one small scuff in surface on bottom; all seams are solid, no splits. Pages are clean and off-white/cream. The text block is uniform and free of foxing. Binding is tight, square, and structurally sound, with solid hinges. No loose, torn or folded pages.

Will ship promptly, carefully packaged.

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