A Wonder Book For Girls & Boys. Nathaniel Hawthorne. 1893. First Illustrated Edition. Good Condition. All pages. Halfway through the book there is tear through about 20 pages, no text or parts of the page are missing. Pages are clean and illustrations stunning and vibrant. Cover is not perfect, some wear on the spine and spotting on the cover, as pictured. Overall, a beautiful antiquarian book with inspiring art.

In 1838, Hawthorne suggested to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow that they collaborate on a story for children based on the legend of the Pandora’s Box, but this never materialized.

Years later he wrote A Wonder Book in 1851, adapting six Greek legends from Charles Anton’s A Classical Dictionary.

Hawthorne set out deliberately to “modernize” the stories, freeing them from what he called “cold moonshine” and using a romantic, readable style that was criticized by adults but proved universally popular with children.

Complimentary 2-5 day U.S. shipping