Capek Brothers Freely Adapted English (3 results)

Soft cover. Condition: Good. 1st Edition. First edition, second impression. Slim paperback, printed covers. 18 × 12cm, 69pp. A remarkable play from the Brothers Capek in which they explore various aspects, characteristics and follies of human life through a series of scenes focusing on different insects. The first act features butterflies, flighty creatures falling in and out of love etc, the second is the insect family, each with their own dream, and the third is set in an ant colony wanting to conquer all other nests and colonies in its vicinity. Both brothers shared a left wing outlook, being critical of the rise of nationalism and fascism, which shows heavily in this work (particularly the third act). Karel died in 1938 but Josef was arrested after the Nazis invaded Czechoslovakia and died in Bergen-Belsen towards the end of the war. Condition: A fairly scarce early printing of the UK translation of this play, and it is in good to fair condition. The covers have rubbing and fading to the edges, with a small mark to the front cover. There is slight loss at the spine ends. The joints / hinges are a little delicate but still attached. The text is in good condition, with some light age-toning to the pages but remaining in good readable condition.

Freely adapted for the English Stage by Nigel Playfair and Clifford Bax.Translated from the Czech by Paul Selver. (illustrator). Octavo, original wraps, pp 69. Previous owner's name blind-stamped, very good condition. Satirical play.

Soft cover. Condition: Very Good. 1st Edition. First Uk Edition, First Print, small octavo, pp. [1-5] 6-69 [70-72: blank], original lavender wrappers printed in black. First edition in English. Also known as "The Insect Play" (a.k.a. "The World We Live In"). "Perhaps the most brilliant of his plays, and the only unquestionable fantasy drama among them . mocks human life and pretensions through a series of beast-fable episodes in which various insects perform vaudeville versions of human behavior at the edge of extinction." - Clute and Grant (ed), The Encyclopedia of Fantasy, p. 164. Not in Bleiler (1948; 1978). Not in Reginald (1979). Barron (ed), Fantasy Literature 3-75. Wear to the spine and uneven fade to the wrappers,internally clean. C.H. Norman's copy with his signature to the copyright page.