Item #28151 The Dark Monarch. Sven Berlin.
The Dark Monarch

The Dark Monarch

London: The Galley Press, 1962. First edition. 8vo, 204 pp, bound in yellow cloth titled in gilt. Housed in the original dust jacket illustrated by the author.

The scarce first edition of this roman a clef describing postwar life in the St. Ives artist commune after the war, a period in which "'some of us seemed to be caught in the slip-stream of evil forces which often follow destruction." The book was withdrawn shortly after publication due to four libel suits which followed, which didn't end up in court but did effectly shut down the publication of the book, which in 2009 became the basis of the 2009 Tate show of the same name. The book is a sequel of sorts to his earlier, superb novel I Am Lazarus - on of the great memoirs of the last century of war.

A near fine example, with some light foxing to upper edge of text block and boards, and the previous ownership signature of Margaret Aldiss to first blank. The dust jacket has some faint staining to back panel, and a touch of rubbing and dust soiling, but is otherwise bright and near fine. Item #28151

Price: $300.00

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