Beschreibung:

The Three Mulla-Mulgars, 1st edition, 1910, two colour plates, some spotting at front and rear, bookplate of Richard Adams, orignal pictorial cloth gilt, extremities lightly rubbed, spine darkened and gilt dulled, 8vo, together with three additional 1st editions of The Three Mulla-Mulgars, one with Richard Adams's bookplate, plus Memoirs of a Midget, 1st edition, 1921, untrimmed and unopened, original quarter cloth with leather label to spine, corners showing, head of spine and covers toned, original glassine wrapper (torn with some loss), 8vo, (limited signed edition, 207/210 copies), with The Connoisseur and Other Stories, 1st edition, 1926, untrimmed, original quarter cloth with leather label to spine, some soiling, spine toned, 8vo, (limited signed edition, 208/250 copies), and The Fleeting and Other Poems, 1st edition, 1933, untrimmed, original quarter cloth with leather label to spine, spine toned, 8vo, (limited signed edition, 118/150 copies), and other Walter de la Mare and related including: The Wind Blows Over, 1st edition, 1936, with dustjacket; and Stories from the Bible, illustrated by Edward Ardizzone 1961, with dustjacket Whilst still at school, Richard Adams found a copy of 'The Three Mulla-Mulgars' and was entranced by it. Indeed, he describes it as "a milestone of profound importance" which opened his eyes and became "one of the most important influences" on his whole life. This tale, seeming to him to be the only real story compared to all others, which were merely attempts at stories, showed Adams that a great novel must create a world that is more real than reality: a world to which "the devoted reader can return again and again for delight and comfort". It was chiefly from this book that Richard Adams took the idea of a journey as the basis for his landmark novel, and he also describes the parallels between De La Mare's characters and scenarios and some of his own in 'Watership Down'. 'The Three Mulla-Mulgars' also taught Adams a vital life-lesson; namely that other people, even those closest to you, will not always understand or agree with your own tastes. When Adams became a devoted admirer of this book, some of his family, far from empathizing or understanding his passion, instead scoffed and jeered. Admitting that perhaps he was a bore in his obsession with the story, Adams also observes that one should never mock the love a child has for a book, in his words: "you never know what it may mean to him". He writes of his favourite children's book "A tear springs to my eye as I think of what I owe to it", saying "Years later, I was able to meet Walter de la Mare and thank him - thank God." (Richard Adams, The Day Gone By, An Autobiography, 1990, pages 155-56. Richard Adams, The Thorny Paradise, Writers on Writing for Children, edited by Edward Blishen, Kestrel Books, 1977, pages 168-69). (28)