Gargantua and Pantagruel by Rabelais 1952 Britannica Great Books series French Literature Ancient novels rare book gifts for readers

This is a very good hardcover. Encyclopedia Britannica 1952 original Printing. This volume is very good inside and out. The inside pages only have very light natural tanning from age with no foxing or markings seen. The bindings are tight and straight. Olive green hardcover boards with gold lettering along spine are also very good with only light shelf wear and a hint of fading along spine. Medium octavo book size or 6.5" x 9.5" with 318 pages.



Great Books of the Western World by Encyclopedia Britannica was originally published in 1952 as a 54 volume set. The idea of the series was to present great books of the western world that were relevant to contemporary matters with important historical content. They were intended to be part of a conversation about great ideas and literature. They were re-issued in 1990 in a 60 volume set with some titles added and some titles left out. The idea for the series began at the University of Chicago where a course was developed with the idea of a round table approach for reading and discussing great books. The purpose was to fill the gaps in education and afford a well-rounded intellect familiar with the great works of the Western Canon along with great ideas.

Initial reception was poor but the first sets were gifted to Queen Elizabeth ll of England and President Harry Truman. Time magazine did a piece on the set featuring Mortimer J. Adler, Editor in Chief, who was integral to the university course and the subsequent set of books. Soon, the popularity of the series soared. The series features works from ancient classics to modern masterpieces.

Francois Rabelais was a French writer, priest, humanitarian and physician. This volume contains his masterpiece, Gargantua and Pantagruel. The work satires legends, romances, and classic writings. Written in the 16th century, it tells the adventures of two giants, Gargantua and his son Pantagruel. The work was originally viewed with skepticism and stigmatized. Eventually it claimed its place among the greatest works of comic satire.

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