The Great Code: The Bible and Literature

Toronto: Academic Press Canada, 1982. First edition. Cloth. Very Good Indeed/Very Good. 9.5" by 6.5". Not Stated. The first edition, second printing of Northrop Frye's study of the Bible as a work of literature, signed by the author. The first edition, second printing of this work in the publisher's original cloth binding, with the original unclipped dust wrapper. Inscribed to "Gloria" by the author to the front free end paper. Northrop Frye (1912-1991) was an influential Canadian literary critic and literary theorist. He primarily wrote works of literary criticism. When reflecting on the similarity between William Blake and John Milton, Frye stumbled on the idea of the Bible as a "mythological framework" which informed all of Western literature. This idea became central to all his literary criticism, but it was this work, The Great Code, in which Frye fully explored his concept. Frye described this book as "a preliminary investigation of Biblical structure and typology", in which he suggests "how the structure of the Bible, as revealed by its narrative and imagery, was related to the conventions and genres of Western literature". In the publisher's original cloth binding, with the original unclipped dust wrapper. Externally, cloth is generally smart, with some fading, more so to the spine, and a couple of marks to the front board. Internally, firmly bound. Pages are bright and clean. Dust wrapper remains bright, with chipping to the upper extremities of the wrap and to the tail of the spine and to the folds of the flaps. Creasing and a small hole to the spine of the wraps. Very Good Indeed