Herman H. J. Lynge & Søn A/S
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Herman H. J. Lynge & Son A/S was founded 1821 in Copenhagen, and has been a member of the Danish Antiquarian Booksellers Association (ABF) and International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB-LILA) since their beginning.
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Herman H. J. Lynge & Søn A/S
lyn61232
London, Richard Bentley, 1847. 8vo. Uncut in the original somewhat worn printed paper binding. Boards rubbed. Rebacked in white cloth, with the remnant of the original spine pasted on. Title page printed in red. Year of publication removed from title page. Internally clean. Housed in a recent clamshell box. IV,(2),100 pp. The rare first printing of Andersen's 'Christmas Greeting'. Upon his visit to England in 1847, Andersen issued the present publication to express his gratitude towards his English friends. In the short preface, addressed to Charles Dickens, Andersen states that he produced seven short stories during his visit (five of which were printed here for the first time): "Whilst occupied with a greater work, there sprung forth - as the flowers spring forth in the forest - seven short stories." Of the seven short stories contained in the volume, the following appear here for the first time: "The Old House" ("Det gamle Huus"), "The Drop of Water" ("Vanddraaben"), "The Happy Family" ("Den lykkelige Familie"), "The Story of a Mother" ("Historien om en Moder"), "The False Collar" ("Flipperne"). The present copy belonged to the Danish writer Elias Bredsdorff (1912-2002), Reader in Scandinavian Studies at the University of Cambridge. Bredsdorff passed on the copy to the renowned Andersen collector Erik Dal.
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Herman H. J. Lynge & Søn A/S
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Kjøbenhavn, P.G. Philipsens Forlag, 1841. 8vo. (4), 350 pp., 1 f. (blank), 2 pp. (advertisements). Completely uncut and partly unopened in the original brown cardboard binding. Rebacked with paper perfectly matching that of the boards. Corners restored. Title-page evenly browned and a few leaves with a bit of brownspotting, but overall in unusually nice condition, clean, fresh, and bright. Completely unmarked. A fabulous copy of the first edition of Kierkegaard’s dissertation, here in the original binding, which is of the utmost scarcity. We have only seen it in this state once before. And of all the copies we have handled of the Irony over the last decades, we have only once before come across a copy with the advertisement-leaf in the back. This is virtually never present. This completely uncut copy is approximately 1 cm taller and wider than regular copies. The spines of the original Kierkegaard cardboard bindings are always just thin paper directly glued on the block, making them extremely fragile, especially on the thicker volumes. If one finds these original bindings, the spines are almost always more or less disintegrated. Kierkegaard's dissertation constitutes the culmination of three years’ intensive studies of Socrates and “the true point of departure for Kierkegaard’s authorship” (Brandes). The work is of the utmost importance in Kierkegaard’s production, not only as his first academic treatise, but also because he here introduces several themes that will be addressed in his later works. Among these we find the question of defining the subject of cognition and self-knowledge of the subject. The maxim of “know thyself” will be a constant throughout his oeuvre, as is the theory of knowledge acquisition that he deals with here. The dissertation is also noteworthy in referencing many of Hegel’s theses in a not negative context, something that Kierkegaard himself would later note with disappointment and characterize as an early, uncritical use of Hegel. Another noteworthy feature is the fact that the thesis is written in Danish, which was unheard of at the time. Kierkegaard felt that Danish was a more suitable language for the thesis and hadto petition the King to be granted permission to submit it in Danish rather than Latin. This in itself poses as certain irony, as the young Kierkegaard was known to express himself poorly and very long-winded in written Danish. One of Kierkegaard’s only true friends, his school friend H.P. Holst recounts (in 1869) how the two had a special school friendship and working relationship, in which Kierkegaard wrote Latin compositions for Holst, while Holst wrote Danish compositions for Kierkegaard, who “expressed himself in a hopelessly Latin Danish crawling with participial phrases and extraordinarily complicatedsentences” (Garff, p. 139). When Kierkegaard, in 1838, was ready to publish his famous piece on Hans Christian Andersen (see nr. 1 & 2 above), which was to appear in Heiberg’s journal Perseus, Heiberg had agreed to publish the piece, although he had some severe critical comments about the way and the form in which it was written – if it were to appear in Perseus, Heiberg demanded, at the very least, the young Kierkegaard would have to submit it in a reasonably readable Danish. “Kierkegaard therefore turned to his old schoolmate H. P. Holst and asked him to do something with the language…” (Garff, p. 139). From their school days, Holst was well aware of the problem with Kierkegaard’s Danish, and he recounts that over the summer, he actually “translated” Kierkegaard’s article on Andersen into proper Danish. The oral defense was conducted in Latin, however. The judges all agreed that the work submitted was both intelligent and noteworthy. But they were concerned about its style, which was found to be both tasteless, long-winded, and idiosyncratic. We already here witness Kierkegaard’s idiosyncratic approach to content and style that is so characteristic for all of his greatest works. Both stylistically and thematically, Kierkegaard’s and especially a clear precursor for his magnum opus Either-Or that is to be his next publication. The year 1841 is a momentous one in Kierkegaard’s life. It is the year that he completes his dissertation and commences his sojourn in Berlin, but it is also the defining year in his personal life, namely the year that he breaks off his engagement with Regine Olsen. And finally, it is the year that he begins writing Either-Or. In many ways, Either-Or is born directly out of The Concept of Irony and is the work that brings the theory of Irony to life. Part One of the dissertation concentrates on Socrates as interpreted by Xenophon, Plato, and Aristophanes, with a word on Hegel and Hegelian categories. Part Two is a more synoptic discussion of the concept of irony in Kierkegaard’s categories, with examples from other philosophers. The work constitutes Kierkegaard’s attempt at understanding the role of irony in disrupting society, and with Socrates understood through Kierkegaard, we witness a whole new way of interpreting the world before us. Wisdom is not necessarily fixed, and we ought to use Socratic ignorance to approach the world without the inherited bias of our cultures. With irony, we will be able to embrace the not knowing. We need to question the world knowing we may not find an answer. The moment we stop questioning and just accept the easy answers, we succumb to ignorance. We must use irony to laugh at ourselves in order to improve ourselves and to laugh at society in order to improve the world. The work was submitted to the Philosophical Faculty at the University of Copenhagen on June 3rd 1841. Kierkegaard had asked for his dissertation to be ready from the printer’s in ample time for him to defend it before the new semester commenced. This presumably because he had already planned his sojourn to Berlin to hear the master philosopher Schelling. On September 16th, the book was issued, and on September 29th, the defense would take place. The entire defense, including a two hour long lunch break, took seven hours, during which ”an unusually full auditorium” would listen to the official opponents F.C. Sibbern and P.O. Brøndsted as well as the seven “ex auditorio” opponents F.C. Petersen, J.L. Heiberg, P.C. Kierkegaard, Fr. Beck, F.P.J. Dahl, H .J.Thue og C.F. Christens, not to mention Kierkegaard himself. Two weeks later, on October 12th, Kierkegaard broke off his engagement with Regine Olsen (for the implications of this event, see the section about Regine in vol. II). The work appeared in two states – one with the four pages of “Theses”, for academics of the university, whereas the copies without the theses were intended for ordinary sale. These sales copies also do not have “Udgivet for Magistergraden” and “theologisk Candidat” on the title-page. The present copy is one of the sales-copies without theses. Himmelstrup 8
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Herman H. J. Lynge & Søn A/S
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Kiøbenhavn, Brummers Forlag, 1805. 8vo. In contemporary half calf. Spine with stains and wear. All edges coloured in blue. Previous owner's name and a stamp to title-page, a few underlinings in contemporary hand throughout, otherwise a good copy. (4), 210, (3) pp. First edition of Treschow’s foundational propaedeutic introduction to the history of philosophy, a key work in late-18th century Scandinavian philosophical pedagogy.
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Herman H. J. Lynge & Søn A/S
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Kjøbenhavn, C. A. Reitzel, 1838. 8vo. X, (2), 79 pp. Lovely contemporary brown half calf with marbled paper over boards. Double gilt lines and gilt lettering to spine. Foot of spine with the gilt initials of H.P. Kierkegaard. A few brown spots to the margin of the first eight leaves, otherwise remarkably clean. An excellent, beautifully preserved copy. With the ownership signature of H.P. Kierkegaard to front fly-leaf. An exquisite copy of the first edition of Kierkegaard's first work, which has belonged to Kierkegaard's disabled cousin, who was a great source of inspiration to Kierkegaard. The relationship between the two cousins was very touching, and they both benefitted greatly from the other. Søren drew inspiration from his cousin, who was lame and unable to walk, and he cared a great deal for him. Hans Peter was one of the very few who had a standing invitation to visit Søren. He felt that his cousin might lead a truer and more meaningful life than most other people, who do not face the same hardships. Hans Peter, on the other hand, was greatly comforted by his famous cousin and his edifying writings. Søren helped him feel that, in spite of his hardships, his life was not wasted – he helped him believe in God. All copies of Kierkegaard's works belonging to his cousin denote a special significance, but it is especially lovely to find H.P. Kierkegaard's copy of his cousin's very first book. Kierkegaard's famous first work sews the seeds of his future career and initiates his philosophical production. It is in this famous review of Hans Christian Andersen as an author of novels, with a particular focus on his Only a Fiddler that Kierkegaard – the then 25 year-old theology student known only in a small academic circle, for his wit and sharp intelligence – puts forth his devastating criticism of Hans Christian Andersen – then 33 years old and already widely famous, Denmark's other national hero and world-famous fairy tale-author. Even though the book is written as a polemic review, we already here witness Kierkegaard's introduction of his emphasis on authentic individual existence will continue throughout his entire production; as thus, From the Papers of one Still Living serves as a highly important introduction to Kierkegaard's philosophical-ethical production. Kierkegaard points out that Hans Christian Andersen has not yet found himself and therefore cannot be a good author. This emphasis on authenticity and on the necessary first stage of the epic becomes an introduction to Kierkegaard's famous theory of stages that he develops in his later works. He rejects the notion that environment is decisive in determining the fate of genius – the genius is a shaping subject, not a passive one formed by circumstances. Not one that needs to be nurtured and sheltered in order not to perish. The work was originally meant to be published as an article in the literary periodical Perseus, of which Johan Ludvig Heiberg was the editor. But the article grew too extensive, and the intended columns in the periodical were given to H.L. Martensen instead. Martensen's article took up 70 pages and was about the idea of Faust, which vexed Kierkegaard, who had wanted to write about that subject himself. Kierkegaard, Hans Peter (1815-62) is always referred to as Kierkegaard's cousin, also by Kierkegaard himself, but if one is to be precise, he was Søren's half-cousin. H.P. was the son of M.P. Kierkegaard's (Søren's father) cousin, M.A. Kierkegaard. H.P. was one of the few people Kierkegaard was personally very close to. As Søren writes in a letter to H.P. (SKS letter no. 27) "you are one of the exceptions". He cared a great deal for his cousin, who was disabled. He was lame, completely paralyzed on one side of the body, and unable to walk. Intellectually, however, he was gifted, and the two cousins grew very close. Søren saw in him a purity that he did not see in other people, an ability to lead a truer and more meaningful life than others, who did not have to suffer in the same way. Søren was also a great comfort to H.P, who read the works of his famous cousin with enthusiasm. He probably owned every single work Kierkegaard wrote, and he drew great comfort from several of them. As Brøchner recalls in his recollections about Kierkegaard (Erindringer om Søren Kierkegaard – no. 43), H.P. "read his cousin's writings with the greatest of interest, occasionally visited him in his home, and drew much spiritual awakening from these visits." Brøchner continues to recall how he once told Kierkegaard what a great impression one of his works, Opbyggelige Taler i forskjellig Aand, had made upon H.P. In the confessional discourse, Søren portrays a person, who due to his bodily disposition is unable to practice anything physically or outwardly, and goes on to beautifully describe how this person too is subject to the same ethical demands as everyone else and what particular form this life-assignment takes on for him. To this, Søren replied "yes! To him, that work is a blessing". And so it was. Reading his cousin's upbuilding works provided the disabled Hans Peter with the power to overpower gloomy thoughts about his life having no meaning. Søren gave him, not only through his writings, but also through his meetings and conversations with him, the feeling of being as important as everyone else, as those who were physically blessed. There is no doubt that Kierkegaard drew inspiration from his admirable cousin, who had to overcome so much. And there is no doubt that H.P. was close to Søren's heart. Apart from Boeson, H.P. was the only person who had a standing invitation. He writes how he admires H.P., who, reconciled with his fate, with patience and devotion solves a task that is just as great as the one everyone else has to solve, whether they do big business, build houses, write great books, etc. – "when all is heard, everything, after all, mainly comes down to fervor – and when all is forgotten, it also comes down to fervor" … "Do not forget the duty to love thyself… That you are somehow set outside of life… that in the eyes of a stupid world, you are superfluous, let that not rob you of the idea of yourself." (Letter 27). Like his famous cousin, H.P. Kierkegaard was also a bibliophile and had a beautiful book collection. The books that surface from his library are usually in excellent condition and are often bound in beautiful bindings, much like those Søren had made for his books. Himmelstrup 6
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Herman H. J. Lynge & Søn A/S
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København, Schubothes Forlag - J.R. Thiele, 1811. 8vo. Bound in a slightly worn contemporary half calf binding with gilt spine. Gilt title to spine. Internally brownspotted. LVI,282,(6) pp. First edition of Rask's seminal first work, "the first of an important series of publications which qualify Rask as one of the founders of modern science of language." (PMM 266). The work constitutes the first thorough treatise of the Icelandic language. Hjelmslev I, 12 Fiske I, 482.
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