International Library of Famous Literature (complete in 20 vols; [1900])

This set was one of the most ambitious and audacious publishing feats of its day: a four-person editorial panel was assembled representing Britain, France, Germany and the United States, and a further 16 specialists were invited, with all 20 contributing introductory essays, one to each of the 20 volumes, each covering a different genre or national literature.

A 1900 publication year is indicated by dates in 1898 and 1899 for two of the special contributions.

Together, the volumes have 10,346 pp of text and index + 480 inserted plates, including 20 tissue-guarded frontispieces.

Complete sets of this work are seldom offered. This set is complete and in better than good condition overall.

The binding was the most popular of the period: maroon gilded calf with matching cloth-boards, matching marbled endpapers and top edge gilt. The volumes vary from near-perfect to one (Vol 5) with a binding break between pp 2326/7. All the other bindings are tight, though some have lost some of their flexibility. Two plates are detached but present, while a further three are loose. The books are not inscribed or otherwise marked. There are no cracks at the endpapers. Most of the spines are chipped, with some tears as well. Vol 1 has a small amount of materal missing at the head of the spine. Some cover panels are more or less stained, while most corners are bumped. Vols 1 and 5 are heavily foxed and all the other volumes except the last, which is free of foxing, have less heavy foxing throughout.

Nineteenth-century writing - poetry and prose - is especially well represented, particularly the leading British and American authors. Among the almost one thousand extracts selected, non-English literature is by no means neglected, with Greek, Latin, Persian, Arabic and modern languages translated into English. Each volume contains a wide selection of styles and languages, rather than German, French, Russian, Spanish or Italian literature, for example, being concentrated in particular volumes.

The special contributors were eminent writers of the day and include Dean Farrar, Edmund Gosse, Bret Harte, Henry James, Andrew Lang, Maurice Maeterlinck and Emile Zola.

The lot is recommended both for its intrinsic value as a century-old commentary on world literature and as an attractive addition to a library bookcase.