C.S. Lewis [Pauline Baynes] – The Chronicles of Narnia – First Paperback Editions 1959-65

Description

First paperback editions, first printings of ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ by C S Lewis. Published by Puffin in London, 1959-65. This is a near fine set. Each title is in markedly similar condition, with only slight points to note amongst them. Each cover is slightly worn at the extremities, with some light foxing to the prelims, text blocks and covers. The first title, ‘The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe’ has one neat previous owners inscription on the front fly leaf in orange ink. The second title, ‘Prince Caspian’ has a medium previous owners name in blue ink to the copyright page. ‘The Voyage of the Dawn Treader’ is free from inscriptions and ‘The Silver Chair’ is also free. The fifth title ‘The Horse and His Boy’ is the brightest copy in the collection, also free from inscriptions. ‘The Magician’s Nephew’ is internally clean and though ‘The Last Battle’ has a light crease to the front panel, it is also internally clean. Collectively, the spines are free from foxing though the third title has some spotting throughout it. The covers are bright and the spines, though with very slight creasing, feel tight and intact. Overall, this is a near fine set of some increasingly rare paperbacks. To our knowledge, this is the first first edition paperback set to appear in its entirety. Housed in a custom made box with marbled internals.
A seminal work of children’s literary fiction in seven volumes. Originally published between 1950 and 1956 by The Bodley Head and Geoffrey Bles. Peppered with allegory, this chronicle was adapted to the screen first in 1967, and most famously, in 2005 by Walt Disney Pictures. C. S. Lewis famously stated: “They’d be no good on TV. Humanised beasts can’t be presented to the eye without at once becoming either hideous or ridiculous. I wish the idiots who run the film world [would] realize that there are stories which are for the ear alone.”