GARGANTUA & PANTAGRUEL The Five Books Newly Translated Into English by Jacques LeClercq

5 volumes. LIMITED EDITION, one of 1500 copies printed by the Southworth-Anthoensen Press in Portland, Maine, hand-numbered and SIGNED by the designer and illustrator W. A. Dwiggins. With a profusion of woodcut style decorations all throughout printed in one of five different colours, vignette titlepages printed in multiple colours and decorations also in black all by designer W. A. Dwiggins. 8vo, publisher's original textured green cloth, the spines with colour printed paper labels featuring Dwiggins' designs, in the blue paper-covered slipcase with printed label. The five volume labels, when arranged in the slipcase, create a single panoramic illustration. xlix, 247; 207; 306; 232, [1] A very fine set, the volumes are pristine and without flaw or detraction, the slipcase is bright, attractive, and solid, the glossy blue paper of the case with only a very minor touch of edge rubbing or trivial wear at the corners.

Edizione: an especially appealing limited edition of rabelais in english, and a set in essentially perfect condition. rabelais' amusing, extravagant and satirical pentalogy of 16th century adventures of two giants was perfect material for dwiggins' delightfully whimsical woodcut-style miniature illustrations. the papers used in the printing and the fine textured green cloth all combine to make this one of the club's finest productions of its period.<br> le clercq's translation is considered by many to be the best in english to date.