ALLEN PRESS. JAMES, Henry. HUGHES-STANTON, Blair. ~ The Beast in the Jungle. A Psychological Novel by Henry James.
One of 130 copies. 16 wood engravings by Blair Hughes-Stanton, all printed in two colours plus one illustration in grey, green, purple, red, blue, olive, blue/green and brown. Text printed in several colours in Romanée types on Arches paper. Folio, original handmade Italian printed paper covered boards with lettering and blocks of all the seven colours used in the printing on the upper cover, spine lettered in green. Slight scuffing to head of spine, otherwise a very good copy.
Whilst illustrating this book Hughes-Stanton was driven by the text and the emotional problems confronting the principal characters: "I feel him blocked by squares or screens, and dominated by his shadow; she is fluid, and her shape is the egg; the Beast lurks in the eye (or ego); and in the second block the line entangles him, or sometimes holds them together; but eventually they break".
The seven colours used in the illustrations and to print the text were inspired by the seven sections of the book each with a different emotional theme.
This shorter story by James is one of his greatest. Clifton Fadiman wrote: "For me this is the best of James's shorter fictions, combining the utmost concentration of effect with the utmost inclusiveness of meaning".
With the original prospectus inserted loose.