Mr Petre : A Novel

First edition, first printing (true first). 310pp with 22 illustrations by G K Chesterton. In brown cloth, with tan lettering and decorations (spine a little rubbed, rounded at spine ends and corners). A little spotting on text block edge, endpapers and prelims, else internally neat, clean, bright and tight. Mr Petre first appeared in the Manchester Guardian in 1925; this is its first edition in book form. Although well-known as an author (of works such as the Father Brown stories) and philosopher, G K Chesterton was also a talented artist. He initially trained to become an illustrator and regularly illustrated both his own works and those of his friends such as Hilaire Belloc and E C Bentley in his own highly distinctive style. Chesterton, G K Illustrated Books, modern fiction firsts