308 - 1896 (BEARDSLEY, AUBREY) AN EVIL MOTHERHOOD, BY WALT RUDING

1896 (BEARDSLEY, AUBREY) AN EVIL MOTHERHOOD, BY WALT RUDING (BEARDSLEY, Aubrey) An Evil Motherhood, by Walt Ruding. London: Elkin Mathews, 1896. Frontispiece by Beardsley reportedly illustrating a portrait of the author, a young man slumped in an oversized armchair with a book on the ground to his left. 8vo, x 99pp + 20pp publisher’s catalogue of Belles Lettres dated 1895-96; dark blue cloth illustrating a spider’s web with gilt lettering, spine dulled, outer hinges slightly frayed. First edition, described on the title-page as “An Impressionist Novel”. A novel of dysfunctional family and psychological terror. In the prefatory note, the author writes that: "Nature is often sensational in effects the significance of which we are unable to ignore. Some may barely tolerate such sensation; some hanker after comic relief or the restful padding of a love interest; perhaps but a few will understand a tragedy disclosed in torn cries, in embarrassed silences, in unconscious words". Divided into three books: 'An Arabian Night's Story', 'The Cynic' and 'The Tragedy of a Brain’. Condition: Please refer to description. Please make all inquiries before bidding. All statements contained in the catalog, condition reports, invoices, advertisements, or elsewhere concerning the authorship, attribution, origin, date, age, period, culture, source, provenance, authenticity, genuineness, condition, rarity, importance, or value of any lot are statements of opinion only and shall not be construed as representations, warranties, or statements of fact. All lots are sold "as-is", refer to our T&C. Helios Auctions does not offer in-house shipping. We will provide a list of recommended shippers upon request.