1883 THE MODERN SPHINX AND SOME OF HER RIDDLES 1st Edition MJ Savage Hardcover

This is the first edition of The Modern Sphinx and Some of Her Riddles by M.J. Savage, published in 1883 by Geo. H. Ellis out of Boston. The cover’s a deep green with gold detailing on the spine and front. It’s got a bit of scuffing and wear on the corners, but overall it’s in solid shape. There’s a small damaged spot on the lower right corner of the front end page, and the first blank page has a few stamps—someone’s name, the town of Independence, OR, and the date 1886. The pages have that classic tan patina, with some foxing around the edges.

I picked this one up for my collection because The Modern Sphinx and Some of Her Riddles dives into some deep questions—like the meaning of life, the nature of God, and why suffering exists. I was a philosophy major in college, so these topics are right up my alley. The author, who was a Unitarian minister, brings a thoughtful and compassionate perspective to it all.

I’ve gone to quite a few Unitarian Universalist churches over the years, especially for their Unstoppable Stories festivals—these awesome banned book events celebrate real human experiences and push for social justice. A lot of the books I collect have been banned or challenged at some point, so I’m pretty excited to add this one to my library.