FANTASTIC TALES. Cover and illustrations by Daniel Frost

FANTASTIC tales. Cracow 1961. literary publishing house. 16d, pp. 466, [2]. Booklet, wraps.
Wrapper slightly soiled and rubbed, small loss of wrapper at spine edge, otherwise good condition. Cover and illustrations by Daniel Mroz. "To lovers of "thrills" and unusual experiences, Literary Publishing offers a collection of fantasy stories by such writers as A. Villiers de L'Isle-Adam, Balzac, Wilkie Collins, Dickens, Theophile Gautier, Anatole France, Le Fanu, Washington Irving, Merimee, Poe, Oscar Wilde and others. Somewhat old-fashioned, sentimental and cheerful, humorous and "serious," they make for hilarious reading today for the reader, transported rapturously into a world of werewolves, ghouls and demons of all kinds and genders, vengeful statues, magical objects, unexplained family tragedies and bizarre adventures. What's more amusing is that alongside seasoned fantasy speculators with established brand names like Poe or Le Fanu, it turns out that such solid literary companies as Thophile Gautier, Merimee, Dickens or, for example, Anatole France are not at all bad here" (from the wrapper).