Ranolf and Amohia: A dream of two lives

Title lacking in Volume Two. Narrow split to gutter at title leaf in Volume One. Else very good. Minor foxing.; The scarce second edition. Volume One: ix, [1], 307, [1] pages + 44 pages advertisements. Volume Two: [ii], 339, [1] pages. Lacking the title leaf in Volume Two. Both volumes: Green cloth boards with black rule to spine and boards. Dark brown endpapers. Page dimensions: 189 x 125mm. This epic poem was originally published in 1872 in a one volume edition. For the two volume edition of 1883, the sub-title was changed from "A South-Sea day-dream" to "A dream of two lives". [Bibliographical References: Bagnall 1650; Hocken 346 - "This edition contains short keys to the cantos, fuller and more numerous notes, and originals of some of the waiata or native songs. It is rare, as a destructive fire occurred at the publishers' on the eve of its publication."; Oxford History of New Zealand Literature in English (1998) page 413 - "The story it tells is simple enough. Erudite young British maritime adventurer, Ranolf, shipwrecked on the New Zealand coast, saves beautiful Maori princess Amohia from a pair of male tormentors, and having learned her language from her tribe, eventually elopes with her and marries her."] This copy from the collection of William Vance (1901-1981) of Timaru, New Zealand, a historian and book collector. Both volumes are signed "W. Vance, Timaru" on the half-title pages. Bookseller's blindstamp "Simpson & Williams Booksellers Christchurch N. Z." on front endpaper of each volume. Vance is listed in C. R. H. Taylor's "Roll of Book Collectors in New Zealand" (1958): "This collection of about 2,000 volumes has been discerningly gathered, and the New Zealand section specialises in South Island material."; 8vo

Product Info

Publisher: Kegan Paul, Trench & Co.

Year: 1883

Type: Used

Binding: Hardcover

Seller Info

RenaissanceBooks

Address: PO Box 335 Dunedin, Not Required

Website: https://renaissancebooks.co.nz

Country: New Zealand