Hadrian the Seventh - Fr. Rolfe (Chatto & Windus, 1959)

This Chatto & Windus edition of Hadrian the Seventh (1959) is of interest to collectors of Frederick Rolfe, early 20th century British fiction, and Catholic literary curiosities.

About: A very good copy in the original crimson dust jacket with cream lettering and gilt spine decoration - the jacket shows light rubbing to extremities and some toning to the rear panel, but retains its striking appearance. Boards clean and tight beneath. Interior pages cream and clean, with the characteristic italic typeface and the Decree of Urban VIII declaration signed by Fr. Rolfe, dated xxii Jul., 1904. The rear panel advertises Nicholas Crabbe at 21s net. A handsome and collectable copy of this celebrated reprint.

Details:

• Title: Hadrian the Seventh
• Author: Fr. Rolfe (“Frederick Baron Corvo”)
• Publisher: Chatto & Windus, London
• Publication Date: 1959
• Original Publication: 1904
• Binding: Hardcover, crimson cloth
• Condition: Very Good
• Dust Jacket Condition: Good

Synopsis: Frederick Rolfe’s extraordinary roman à clef imagines an embittered English Catholic writer, a thinly veiled self-portrait, unexpectedly elected Pope, taking the name Hadrian VII. Part theological fantasy, part savage satire, part wish-fulfilment, the novel is one of the most singular and eccentric works in the English literary canon. First published in 1904, it was rediscovered in the mid-twentieth century and adapted for the stage in 1968.

Review: Hadrian the Seventh is a work of fierce, idiosyncratic genius. Rolfe’s prose, ornate, allusive, and shot through with wounded pride - creates a narrator of compelling strangeness. D. H. Lawrence called it “the work of a man demon”; the Observer praised its “florid genius” and “exotic fantasy.” This Chatto & Windus reprint brought Rolfe’s masterpiece to a new generation of readers and remains a desirable copy for collectors of literary curiosities and Catholic fiction.