Putnam's Monthly Magazine Volume I January to June 1853

New York: G.P. Putnam & Co, 1853. Hardcover. Very Good. Hardcover. This first volume of Putnam's Monthly Magazine includes an article titled "Our Young Authors - Melville," (pages 155-164) and an article "Are We a Good Looking People?" that mentions Melville and other contemporary authors as "handsome and superior-looking men" (page 311). The interesting article on Melville by the magazine's publishers both heaps praise on his early works such as Mardi and Typee, but harshly criticizes his later works Moby Dick and Pierre, citing their "inexcusable insanity." The volume also include "Old Ironsides" by James Fenimore Cooper and a three chapters from Thoreau's "An Excursion to Canada." Bound in later three quarter dark blue leather with green, red, and yellow marbled paper boards. Marbled endpapers. Interior pages are generally clean and bright with occasional browning or light foxing. Very good condition. 6.5 x 9.5 pages. 703 pages. LIT/050418.