Čapek (Karel) Krakatit.

£750

Translated by Lawrence Hyde.
London, Bles, 1925.

First UK edition. 8vo. Original blue cloth lettered in red. Dust-jacket, correctly priced 7/6.

A great first edition in English of Čapek’s novel about a secret explosive formulation and the trouble it causes, not least for its inventor, the chemist Prokop: “a rich and wildly imagined work, unusual in its almost orgiastic baroque exploration of power, sexuality, and guilt.” (Bleiler). The wonderful art deco jacket artwork sets the mood perfectly! The original Czech edition was published the previous year.

In stock