Posted 13 years ago
elizabeths…
(21 items)
One of my most favorite finds! Etidorpha (Aphrodite backward) was written by pharmaceutical maker, John Uri Lloyd and first published in 1895.
Synopsis from Wikipedia:
" The book's Chapter I begins the story of how Drury met the mysterious I-Am-The-Man, who reads his own manuscript account of his adventures to Drury over many sessions. The mysterious stranger, also known as The-Man-Who-Did-It, relates events that supposedly occurred another thirty years earlier, during the early part of the nineteenth century. In his account, the speaker is kidnapped by fellow members of a secret society, because he is suspected to be a threat to the society's secrecy.
I-Am-The-Man is taken to a cave in Kentucky; there he is led by a cavern dweller on a long subterranean journey, which becomes an inner journey of the spirit as much as a geographical trip through underground realms.
The books blends passages on the nature of physical phenomena like gravity and volcanoes with spiritualist speculation, and adventure-story elements (like traversing a landscape of giant mushrooms). The whole ends with a summary letter from I-Am-The-Man and a conclusion from Drury. "
The illustration is amazing! Very cool book!
One of my favorite books. PLEASE tell Ron Howard to make this into a movie!!! You are hereby elevated to genius status for knowing about this book.
Thank you so much tikiray and Savoychina1! :)
I would love to post more of the illustrations, if possible...and to think I picked it up in the early 1990's for $2.00!
$2!!! Now thats a good deal!!
Don't tell me yours is a first edition! I had a 1939 copy which I loaned...enough said. I finally had to buy a paperback copy just to have it. That is SOOOO not the same.
No, mine is not 1st edition. I believe the 1st edition, published in 1895, was privately distributed. However, I do not think the private 1st edition has as many illustrations as this one and future editions. You are the FIRST person I have ever "known" who is familiar with this book! I'm so happy to have found my peeps! :D
You say he was a drug manufacturer. Hmmm........
I have to agree with toolate2, Hmmmm..........
The 1st edition was for subscribers and friends of the author and is a bit larger than the next several printings that followed. Starting with the 11th edition a few chapters were added to the book, but the books size was reduced to that of the average novel of the period. As for the illustrations I believe the first edition has all or at least most of the illustrations that the later printings had. A few may have been added with the 11th edition. The 1st edition has a list of the subscribers names at the back of the book and a facsimile of a hand written letter from the author that is actually hand signed (not facsimile) in each copy. As a one time bookseller from the Cincinnati area I had several copies of this book over the years including at least three 1st editions. A copy of the 1st edition can be seen and downloaded at the link below.
https://archive.org/details/etidorhpaorend00lloy