Dragon’s Teeth Eça de Queirós Ticknor 1889 First Ed

📖 Dragon’s Teeth by Eça de Queirós, translated by Mary J. Serrano (1889, Ticknor and Company, Boston) — the first American edition of one of Portugal’s most important realist novels, originally published as O Primo Basílio in 1878. This copy is bound in maroon cloth with gold lettering, 516 pages, in very good antique condition.

QUICK FACTS

• Author: José Maria de Eça de Queirós (1845–1900), Portugal’s foremost realist novelist
• Translator: Mary J. Serrano (Mary Jane Christie Serrano, c. 1840–1923), Irish-born, one of the most prominent literary translators in the United States
• Publisher: Ticknor and Company, 211 Tremont Street, Boston
• Year: 1889 (copyright 1889; original Portuguese publication 1878)
• Format: Hardcover in maroon cloth boards with gold-stamped lettering; no dust jacket
• Pages: 516 | ISBN: None (pre-ISBN era)
• Condition: Very good — full report below

THE STORY

Originally published in Portuguese as O Primo Basílio in 1878, this novel caused a scandal in Lisbon society for its unflinching depiction of adultery, blackmail, and bourgeois hypocrisy. The plot follows Luísa, a young wife in a passionless marriage, whose old flame Cousin Basílio returns from Brazil and rekindles their affair — with devastating consequences when the maid Juliana discovers their secret and begins extortion. Britannica calls it “a biting satire on the romantic ideal of passion and its tragic consequences.” Eça de Queirós wrote the novel while serving as Portuguese consul in Newcastle upon Tyne, during the most productive period of his career.

THIS EDITION

Published by Ticknor and Company of Boston — a prestigious house descended from the Ticknor and Fields lineage that published Hawthorne, Emerson, and Thoreau. This is the first American edition, appearing in March 1889. The same year, Ticknor and Company merged with Houghton, Mifflin, making this among the final titles issued under the Ticknor imprint. The English title “Dragon’s Teeth” references Chapter IX and evokes the Greek myth of Cadmus, whose sown dragon’s teeth sprang up as warriors — a metaphor for the unintended consequences of deceit that drives the novel’s plot.

THE TRANSLATOR

Mary J. Serrano (born Mary Jane Christie in Castlebar, Ireland) was one of the most important English translators of Iberian literature in the late 19th century. Married to Spanish diplomat Juan Emigdio Serrano (brother of the President of Colombia), she moved in diplomatic circles across South America and Washington D.C., where she met Juan Valera and began translating his works. She was appointed Judge of Awards in the Spanish Literary Departments of the 1893 Columbian Exposition. Her translation of Eça de Queirós brought Portuguese realist fiction to American readers for the first time.

BINDING & CONDITION

Maroon cloth boards with gold-stamped title lettering on spine and front cover. The binding remains tight and intact, with the text block closing cleanly. The spine is slightly cocked — when laid flat, the front board edge overhangs the back board edge slightly. Corners and spine head/heel show moderate wear and light fraying consistent with a 135-year-old book. Boards are remarkably even in color with only a few small specks. A semicircular moisture mark approximately the size of a half-dollar appears on the rear board at the lower spine corner. The text block shows uniform age-toning with a little speckling on the top edge. Pages are clean and unmarked.

WHY IT MATTERS

• Eça de Queirós is widely regarded as the greatest Portuguese novelist of the 19th century and a giant of European literary realism alongside Flaubert and Zola
• This is the first American edition, published by one of Boston’s most storied literary houses in the final year of the Ticknor imprint
• Mary J. Serrano’s translation was a landmark in bringing Iberian literature to the English-speaking world; she was the first to translate Eça de Queirós into English
• The novel remains one of the most read and adapted works in Portuguese literature, with multiple film and television adaptations

FREQUENTLY ASKED

What edition is this? First American edition, published by Ticknor and Company, Boston, 1889. The original Portuguese edition (O Primo Basílio) was published in 1878.

What condition is it in? Very good for its age. Maroon cloth boards with gold lettering, tight binding, clean text block with age-toning. Minor wear to corners and spine ends; one small moisture mark on rear board. Full condition report above.

Who translated this edition? Mary J. Serrano (Mary Jane Christie Serrano), an Irish-born translator considered one of the foremost authorities on Spanish and Portuguese literature in the United States. She was appointed to judge Spanish literary works at the 1893 Columbian Exposition.

FOR COLLECTORS

A clean, complete copy of the first American edition of a European literary landmark. The Ticknor imprint adds Boston publishing history to the Portuguese literary significance — and the pre-ISBN binding in original cloth with gold stamping is increasingly scarce after 135 years.

This is a “very good” antique novel in maroon cloth wrapped boards with gold lettering, 516 pages.

The year of publication on the title page, 1889, matches the copyright year on the verso, indicating first edition printing.

The binding is tight, intact, not split or weakened. The spine is a bit cocked (meaning, when the book is laid flat on it’s back on a table, the front board edge overhangs the back board edge). The text block closes tightly, is relatively uniform all around in color – top edge has a little speckling. Board corner tips and spine head and heel are worn and slightly frayed in the cloth. Boards are amazingly even in color, a few small specks in a few places, Spine cloth might be ever so slightly tanned. Rear board at lower spine corner shows a half dollar size semi-circle which is seemingly a little moisture exposure.

See accompanying images for full condition details.

Translated from book by Eca De Queiros by Mrs. Serrano, who is considered to be one of the most important English translators of her period, who having written her own books and poetry, also translated many titles into English.

Will ship promptly, carefully packaged.

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