Fables in Slang

West Virginia: Westvaco, 1972. Fine/VG. Limited Edition Published Christmas 1972. Presentation slip signed by Jack Vincent laid in. The book is Fine. Tight and square with solid hinges and bindings and sharp tips and clean unmarred boards. The textblock is clean with no writing, bookplate, or markings, and not BCE, ex-library, or remaindered. Illustrations are ornamental designs from the 1924 Louis Henry Sullivan "A System of Architectural Ornament." Foreword by Jean A. Bradnick. The beige paper slipcase is very good with minor wear, a few smudges and light soiling to base. 171 pages. 6 x 9½" tall. First Published on 1906.

George Ade was perhaps America's first modern humorist. Originally published in 1899, Ade's Fables in Slang pursued a genial satire notable for its scrupulous objectivity. Ade followed in the footsteps of his idol Mark Twain by making expert use of the American language. His practice was to record the pragmatic efforts of the little man to get along in a world that is changing around him. The fable's actual moral is nearly always implicit, though he liked to tack on a mock, often ironic moral (e.g., "Industry and perseverance bring a sure reward").

George Ade was a moralist who did not overtly moralize and who was all too aware of the ironies of what, in his day, was the modern world.