‎Atten opbyggelige Taler af S. Kierkegaard. - [EXCEEDINGLY SCARCE IN THE ORIGINAL BINDING, WITH THE ORIGINAL TITLE-LABEL]‎

‎Kjøbenhavn, Philipsen, 1843-45. 8vo. (4), 52 + 62 (+ 1 blank leaf) + 84 + 59 (including the blank leaf between the title-page and the preface!) + 70 (+ 1 blank leaf) + 111 pp. Completely uncut in the original brownish grey boards with original printed title-label to spine (fully intact). Boards a bit brownspotted and a larger damp stain to top of front board. A couple of smaller stains (lacquer or wax) to spine. A few horizontal creases to spine with paper almost invisibly glued back on to hold tight. Occasional brownspotting, mostly to the first and last leaves. But overall splendidly preserved.‎

‎A truly magnificent copy of the first edition of this very scarce Kierkegaard-title, in completely original condition with all of the original printed title-label preserved, and fully complete with the joint title-page, contents, all the half-titles, dedications, blanks, etc. This Kierkegaard-title is rare in itself, with much less than 278 copies printed in all, but it is utterly amazing to find this exceedingly rare book in original state like here. Only very few copies are left in the original binding, which we have only seen once before. The spines of the original Kierkegaard cardboard bindings are always just thin paper directly glued on the block, making them extremely fragile. If one finds these original bindings, the spines are almost always more or less disintegrated. The present copy is a rare exception that furthermore has the original title-label, which is of the utmost scarcity. To our knowledge, only one other copy in the original binding has been located. Apart from the other copy we have seen of this work in the original binding, the present copy is also the only original Kierkegaard-binding we have seen that is not in the usual blue “hollanderet” cardboard binding, but plain brown. No other such copy has been registered for sale, and no other such copy, to our knowledge, is registered in any institution. Furthermore, this seems to be the only copy to have surfaced so far, which has preserved the original printed title-label in its entirety. As far as we know, it has been recorded no-where, due to its extreme scarcity. Kierkegaard’s Upbuilding (or Edifying) Discourses were published over the course of two years, in 1843 and 1844. In all, 18 Upbuilding Discourses were published, divided over six publications, namely: Two Upbuilding Discourses from 1843 Three Upbuilding Discourses from 1843 Four Upbuilding Discourses from 1843 Two Upbuilding Discourses from 1844 Three Upbuilding Discourses from 1844 Four Upbuilding Discourses from 1844 Each of these publications accompanied one of the main pseudonymous works, beginning with Either-Or in 1843. As opposed to his major philosophical works, the religious upbuilding discourses actually bear the name of the author on the title-page. Of course, this was by no means incidental. While the pseudonymous works could raise the question of the religiousness of the author, the parallelly written religious discourses stress the fact that we are dealing with an author, who was religious from the very beginning – an essential fact that Kierkegaard wished to stress for those interested in his authorship. In his journals, Kierkegaard clearly states that the religious discourses are as significant in his oeuvre as a whole as are the larger pseudonymous works, “I began with “Either-Or” and two upbuilding discourses...” he says, and explains that he intended the upbuilding, the religious, to advance, and that he wanted to show “that the writer was not an aesthetic author who in the course of time grew older and for that reason became religious”. (Journals, IX A 227). He was religious all along, also during all of the major philosophical publications that were not written in his name. The fact that every major pseudonymous work – up until Concluding Unscientific Postscript appeared and revealed the identity of the real author – was accompanied by one of these small Upbuilding Discourses, bears testament to the pivotal role they play in Kierkegaard’s philosophical development. Furthermore, while Kierkegaard could not present anyone with copies of his pseudonymous works (as explained above), he could indeed give away presentation-copies of his accompanying Upbuilding Discourses, which he then did. The Upbuilding Discourses are particularly interesting in several regards, one being that it is in the course of the printing of these that Kierkegaard changes his publisher. Ever since Kierkegaard had chosen to publish his first book himself, he had had his books on commission with the leading Copenhagen publisher Reitzel (the sole exception being his thesis, the Irony). That was also the case with Two Upbuilding Discourses from 1843. But for some reason, the following five publications of Upbuilding Discourses did not appear with Reitzel, but with P.G. Philipsen instead. We do not know the exact reason for this change in publishers, as the commission was exactly the same for the two. Whereas Two Upbuilding Discourses from 1843 had sold relatively well, the Three and Four Upbuilding Discourses from 1843 did not sell well. A mere 102 and 104 copies respectively out of a commission issue of 300 were sold. In an attempt at making money on these discourses in spite of the poor sales numbers, Philipsen offers to buy the unsold copies of Two Upbuilding Discourses from 1843, buys a sales issue of 300 copies of the Two Upbuilding Discourses from 1844, and makes the same agreement with Kierkegaard for the following two Discourse-publications. Sales numbers are still poor, however, and in the spring of 1845, only ca 100 copies of each of the 1844 Discourse publications have been sold. The printing issue of each was about 500, and Philipsen’s sales issue 300 thus, both Philipsen and Kierkegaard had large numbers of each Discourse-publication left, and in May 1845, they make a new deal. Philipsen buys the remainder issues of all six Discourse-publications, including the 278 copies of Two Upbuilding Discourses from 1843 from Reitzel. Philipsen has a joint title-page printed, along with a contents-leaf, and now issues the seminal Kierkegaard-publication that is no. 85 in the bibliography (Himmelstrup), namely Eighteen Upbuilding Discourses – all six publications, constituting all eighteen Upbuilding Discourses collected in one book. Seeing that there were 278 copies left of the Two Upbuilding Discourses from 1843, a maximum of 278 copies of Eighteen Upbuilding Discourses can have been made, making it one of the scarcest Kierkegaard-books. The actual number is certainly lower than 278, though, probably quite a bit lower, seeing that Philipsen continued to sell the separate publications, all copies of which he then evidently did not include in the Eighteen Upbuilding Discourses. The individual pamphlets, of course, are even scarcer, with a maximum of 232 copies of Two Upbuilding Discourses from 1843 and somewhere between 100 and 150 copies of the others. We know from the Erindringsbog fra Bianco Luno 1844 that Kierkegaard had 506 copies of Four Upbuilding Discourses 1844 printed, six of them on fine paper for presentation. Seeing that we have already established the clear thread of identity throughout all six publications, we must assume that the other pamphlets were printed in the same numbers. And we have the record of the remainder issues that Philipsen buys in 1845, which lets us conclude of the Upbuilding Discourses, that, by that time, 222 copies of Two 1843 139 copies of Three 1843 130 copies of Four 1843 120 copies of Two 1844 92 copies of Three 1844 96 copies of Four 1844 were sold out of the total number of original issues. In other words, these are extremely scarce. Not least in the original wrappers or bindings. The scarcest Kierkegaard-title that exists, however, will be found in the continuation of the printing history of the Upbuilding Discourses. It is the mythically rare title of Sixteen Upbuilding Discourses, which Philipsen issued in 1852, when the Two Upbuilding Discourses had been sold out and it was no longer possible to collect Eighteen Upbuilding Discourses. Thus, Philipsen had yet another title-page printed, this time with Sixteen Upbuilding Discourses as the title and the year 1843-45 on it, along with a new index-leaf he issued this, the scarcest of all Kierkegaard-titles, in March 1852. “It is not known how large the issue was, but it cannot have been more than 83, seeing that that was what was left of Three Upbuilding Discourses from 1843.” (Tekstspejle p. 54, translated from Danish). The idea of the Eighteen Upbuilding Discourses (let alone the Sixteen) was not Kierkegaard’s. He had agreed to the Eighteen, but it was not his intended project with the Upbuilding Discourses. Therefore, he wished for the book not to be reviewed, and he naturally did not give away any copies of the Eighteen Upbuilding Discourses, and of course not the Sixteen either, only the individual pamphlets. In all, seven presentation-copies of the different Upbuilding Discourses are registered, all being for either Heiberg or Nielsen. Curiously, neither Eighteen nor Sixteen Upbuilding Discourses were to be found in Kierkegaard’s book collection after his death. All the individual pamphlets were, however, along with a copy of the first nine Upbuilding Discourses – i.e. the three publications from 1843 – bound together. For more on the conundrum of the actual number of copies of the Upbuilding Discourses, see the Preface by Flemming Chr. Nielsen in Girsel’s Kierkegaard-catalogue, p. 19. Himmelstrup 85‎

‎Atten Opbyggelige Taler. Anden udgave.‎

‎Kbhvn., 1862. Samt. hldrbd. Rig rygforgyldning. Ryg lidt slidt. (6),378 pp.‎

‎Atten opbyggelige Taler. - [THE UPBUILDING DISCOURSES]‎

‎Kjøbenhavn [Copenhagen], 1843-1845. 8vo. Near contemporary half calf with richly gilt spine. Binding with very light wear. Front free end-paper with the ownership-inscription of Michael Bentzon and his acquisition date of 1855 (the same year that Kierkegaard died). Some brownspotting here and there and the first couple of leaves of ""To opbyggelige Taler, 1844"" with a damp stain. Neat underlinings in the text as well as several marginalia, mostly in pencil. A very good copy indeed. (IV), 52, 62, 84, 59, 70, 111pp. Complete with all the half-titles and the joint title-page (without the blank leaf after the preface of ""To opbyggelige Taler, 1844"" - which is not called for and hardly ever present).‎

‎First edition of Kierkegaard's important Eighteen Upbuilding Discourses, which comprise his two, three, and four upbuilding discourses from the years 1843-45, with the joint title-page of all eighteen. The work constitutes Kierkegaard's religious works, which supplement his theological and philosophical ones.The first upbuilding discourses were published the same year as Either-Or, and it is interesting to note that in opposition to his major philosophical works, the religious upbuilding discourses actually bear the name of the author on the title-page, -a fact that was by no means incidental. While the pseudonymous works could make one doubt the religiousness of the author, the parallelly written religious discourses stress the fact that we are dealing with an author, who was religious from the very beginning, -a fact that Kierkegaard also wished to underline himself"" in his journals he clearly states that the religious discourses bear as much significance for his work as a whole as do the larger pseudonymous works, ""I began with ""Either-Or"" and two upbuilding discourses..."" he says, and explains that he intended the upbuilding, the religious, to advance, and that he wanted to show ""that the writer was not an esthetic author who in the course of time grew older and for that reason became religious"" (Journals, IX A 227).The importance of the upbuilding discourses and the close relationship they have with the major works and Kierkegaard's philosophical development is also stressed by the fact that every pseudonymous work was accompanied by a little collection of ""upbuilding discourses"" until ""Concluding Postscript"" appeared.Himmelstrup 85.‎

‎Begrebet Angest. En simpel psychologisk=paapegende Overveielse i Retning af det dogmatiske Problem om Arvesynden. Af Vigilius Hafniensis. - [THE ONLY KNOWN COPY ON SPECIAL PAPER OF THE WORK THAT INTRODUCED ""ANGST"" IN PHILOSOPHY]‎

‎Kjøbenhavn, Reitzel, 1844. 8vo. (8), 184 pp. Bound in a black glitted full paper binding mimicking Kierkegaard’s gift-bindings. With Gothic gilt lettering and printing year to spine. Top edge gilt, otherwise uncut. Bound by Anker Kyster’s Eftf. 1958, more specifically Bent Andree, with his name in pencil under the book-binder stamp on front free end-paper. A bit of wear to extremities. One leaf loose. The copy is a most curious one. It was been washed and restored and then bound by one of Denmarks’ best bookbinders of all time, clearly under specific instructions to both keep it original, but to also reflect the typical bindings Kierkegaard had made. The copy is on fine, bright white vellum-paper (!), uncut, and bound with the original back-strip with the original printed title-label, preserving all of the printed text and with blank blue wrappers of the exact same paper as the back-strip. To our knowledge, The Concept of Anxiety did not appear in blue blank wrappers. It did, however, appear in the characteristic blue paper binding. The wrappers here bound in, however, do not match this paper exactly.‎

‎A unique copy of the scarce first edition of this classic of Existentialism, being the only known copy printed on fine paper. The Concept of Anxiety is one of Kierkgaard's greatest works, his primary psychological work, and the work with which ""Angst"" is introduced in philosophy. It is futhermore (together with Sixteen Unbuilding Discourses - the amputated Eighteen Upbuilding Discourses), the rarest of Kierkegaard's works, at is was printed in half as many copies as his other works. Not a single presentation-copy of the work is known to exist, no copy on special paper has been registered (before this), and merely a single copy of the work is listed in the auction catalogue of Kierkegaard’s books sold after he died (the whereabouts of this copy unknown). This could possibly be the hitherto unlocated copy from Kierkegaard’s own collection. Or it could be a copy he gave away, the only one to have ever surfaced. It is undoubtedly one or the other, seeing that it is on special vellumpaper, on which Kierkegard only had copies made for himself, for presentation, or for Regine.There could be several explanations for the mystery of the bound in wrappers: 1) they are new wrappers made to match the original spine with the original printed title-label" 2) they are the original blue paper taken off the original cardboard-boards in order to bind them in a binding that mimics a Kierkegaardpresentation-binding 3) they are unknown original wrappers, not previously registered for The Concept of Anxiety. It is this classic of Existentialism that introduced the notion of “Angst” (anxiety) in philosophy. If Kierkegaard had written nothing else, The Concept of Anxiety alone would have cemented him as one of the most important thinkers since antiquity. Nowhere else can one find an account of the concept of anxiety that comes close in importance to the one Kierkegaard gives in the present work. Using the Fall in the Garden of Eden as the foundation of the analysis, he succeeds in describing what no-one has been able to before or since. “Long before modern psychology had entered puberty, Kierkegaard unfurled advanced psychological concepts that in many senses were Freudian before Freud was around. In his primary psychological work, The Concept of Anxiety, he presents his detailed analyses of the relationship of anxiety to phenomena such as freedom, sexuality, original sin, and history.” (The Søren Kierkegaard Research Centre). Being one of his most important and influential philosophical works, The Concept of Anxiety is essential to all later existentialist writers. It was arguably this work that more than any other influenced Existentialism. The work bears a printed dedication to his beloved Poul Martin Møller, one of the most beautiful and moving dedications in a philosophical work. Poul Martin Møller was his philosophy professor, but more than that he was a moral mentor and one of a few people that Kierkegaard truly admired and cared for. Poul Martin Møller died in 1838, leaving almost no published works behind he is the only person outside of Kierkegaard’s immediate family (here including Regine), who had been honoured with a printed dedication in any of his books. Apart from the title Sixteen Upbuilding Discourses (the amputated Eighteen Upbuilding Discourses – without the two that were quickly sold out), The Concept of Anxiety is by far the scarcest of Kierkegaard’s works – “The Concept of Anxiety was only printed in 250 copies!” (Textspejle, p. 58, translated from Danish), which is ca half of most of the other works. It is, interestingly, the only one of the pseudonymous writings from the period that was reprinted, despite the poor sales numbers of the first issue. In the summer of 1847, when Reitzel buys the remainders of the first issue, a mere 165 copies of what is arguably now considered Kierkegaard’s most important work had been sold. The Concept of Anxiety is not only notorious for its pivotal importance in the history of philosophy and for essentially being the theoretical foundation of Existentialism" among Kierkegaard collectors and bibliophiles in general, it is also notorious for its scarcity, having been printed in a mere ca 250 copies. Furthermore, like Fear and Trembling, not a single presentation-copy of the work is known to exist, nor had any copy printed on special paper ever been discovered (until now). A single copy of the work is listed in the auction catalogue of Kierkegaard’s books sold after he died. But the whereabouts of this copy is unknown (possibly until now). Himmelstrup 62. The present copy is no. 24a in Girsel's ""Kierkegaard"" (The Catalogue) which can be found here.‎

‎Begrebet Angest. En simpel psychologisk=paapegende Overveielse i Retning af det dogmatiske Problem om Arvesynden. Af Vigilius Hafniensis. Andet Oplag. - [THE SCARCE AND IMPORTANT SECOND ISSUE]‎

‎Kjøbenhavn, Reitzel, 1855. 8vo. (8), 172 pp. Bound in a beautiful later brown half Morocco binding with double gilt lines and gilt Gothic lettering to spine. Single gilt lines to boards. Gilt super ex libris to inside of front board. Occasional pencil- and red crayon-underlinings. Otherwise internally very nice. A beautiful copy.‎

‎The surprisingly rare second issue, which although published in 500 copies as opposed to the mere 250 of the first issue, almost never appears on the market. It is this classic of Existentialism that introduced the notion of “Angst” (anxiety) in philosophy. If Kierkegaard had written nothing else, The Concept of Anxiety alone would have cemented him as one of the most important thinkers since antiquity. Nowhere else can one find an account of the concept of anxiety that comes close in importance to the one Kierkegaard gives in the present work. Using the Fall in the Garden of Eden as the foundation of the analysis, he succeeds in describing what no-one has been able to before or since. “Long before modern psychology had entered puberty, Kierkegaard unfurled advanced psychological concepts that in many senses were Freudian before Freud was around. In his primary psychological work, The Concept of Anxiety, he presents his detailed analyses of the relationship of anxiety to phenomena such as freedom, sexuality, original sin, and history.” (The Søren Kierkegaard Research Centre). Being one of his most important and influential philosophical works, The Concept of Anxiety is essential to all later existentialist writers. It was arguably this work that more than any other influenced Existentialism. The work bears a printed dedication to his beloved Poul Martin Møller, one of the most beautiful and moving dedications in a philosophical work. Poul Martin Møller was his philosophy professor, but more than that he was a moral mentor and one of a few people that Kierkegaard truly admired and cared for. Poul Martin Møller died in 1838, leaving almost no published works behind he is the only person outside of Kierkegaard’s immediate family (here including Regine), who had been honoured with a printed dedication in any of his books. Apart from the title Sixteen Upbuilding Discourses (the amputated Eighteen Upbuilding Discourses – without the two that were quickly sold out), The Concept of Anxiety is by far the scarcest of Kierkegaard’s works – “The Concept of Anxiety was only printed in 250 copies!” (Textspejle, p. 58, translated from Danish), which is ca half of most of the other works. It is, interestingly, the only one of the pseudonymous writings from the period that was reprinted, despite the poor sales numbers of the first issue. In the summer of 1847, when Reitzel buys the remainders of the first issue, a mere 165 copies of what is arguably now considered Kierkegaard’s most important work had been sold. At the beginning of the summer of 1855, the last 85 copies had finally been sold, and amid the tumultuous time of the “Church Fight”, Kierkegaard had agreed with Reitzel to a reprint of the work, now in an issue of 500 copies. The Concept of Anxiety is one of the only interesting reprints of a work by Kierkegaard, not least due to the timing of its appearance. The printers, Bianco Lunos, had finished the printing of the second issue on August 16, 1855, and the book appeared on August 20th, a mere two and a half months before Kierkegaard died. From the age of 37 till ca 41 (1850-54), Kierkegaard did not publish any substantial books. He seems to have focused on writing his journals and only published a few smaller pieces, mostly discourses. In other words, he is not very publicly visible during this period. That is, until he begins publishing his famously controversial periodical The Moment. Along with articles in the paper The Fatherland, this becomes the beginning of his fight against the established Church, the so-called “Church fight”. After Martensen in his eulogy over his predecessor Bishop Mynster had called Mynster a testament of truth for Christianity and a “martyr” (in Danish “Blodvidne”), Kierkegaard cannot hold his tongue and embarks on a fierce attack upon the Danish Church. With his newspaper-piece on December 1854, he declares war, and his merciless siege fire lasts for almost a year, right up until his death in November 1855. Beginning with a showdown with Bishop Martensen and that which Myster represented, Kierkegaard’s attack quickly transforms into a hateful war upon priesthood and the established Danish Church in general. A war from which the Danish Church would late recover. It is amid this very public fight that the second issue of The Concept of Anxiety appears, in twice as large a number as the famously scarce first issue. Himmelstrup 62. ‎

‎Bibliotheca Kierkegaardiana. Edenda curaverunt Niels Thulstrup, Marie Mikulova Thulstrup. 16 vols.‎

‎Copenhagen, Reitzel, 1978-88. Orig. printed wrappers to all volumes. In English.‎

‎The paperback edition.‎

‎Bibliotheca Kierkegaardiana. Edenda curaverunt Niels Thulstrup, Marie Mikulova Thulstrup. 16 vols.‎

‎Copenhagen, Reitzel, 1978-88. Orig. printed wrappers to all volumes. In English.‎

‎The paperback edition.‎

‎EDIFYING DISCOURSES, A Selection‎

‎Collins - Fontana Books. 1958. In-12. Broché. Etat d'usage, Couv. convenable, Dos frotté, Intérieur acceptable. 253 pages.. . . . Classification Dewey : 420-Langue anglaise. Anglo-saxon‎

‎Fontana Books, 718 R. Edited with an Intro. by Paul L. HOLMER. Trans. by David F. and Lilian MARVIN SWENSON. Classification Dewey : 420-Langue anglaise. Anglo-saxon‎

‎En literair Anmeldelse. To Tidsaldre, Novelle af Forfatteren til ""En Hverdagshistorie"", udgiven af J.L.Heiberg. Kbhv. Reitzel, 1845, anmeldt af S.Kierkegaard.‎

‎K., 1846. Ubeskåret i senere blankt omsl. Første og sidste blade noget brunplettet. 114pp.‎

‎Originaludgave. Himmelstrup 100.‎

‎Enten – Eller. Et Livs=Fragment udgivet af Victor Eremita. Anden Udgave. Første Deel, indeholdende A.’s Papirer + Anden Deel, indeholdende B.’s Papirer, Breve til A. - [KIERKEGAARD’S OWN PERSONAL COPY OF EITHER-OR, WITH HIS OWN CORRECTIONS]‎

‎Kjøbenhavn, Reitzel, 1849. 8vo. XIV, (2), 320" (4), 250 pp. Bound in one original green full cloth binding with blindstamped decorative borders to boards and blindstamped lines and gilt title to spine. Rebacked preserving most of the original spine. White moiré end-papers and all edges gilt. Corners bumped. First title-page browned and brownspotting throughout. Previous owner’s neat pencil annotations about the history of the copy to back free end-paper and annotations/corrections in Kierkegaard’s hand to pp. 208 and 275 of vol. 1.‎

‎Kierkegaard’s own personal copy of the second issue of Either-Or, with his own corrections – one of them correcting a “not” to an “either”! This copy is with all likelihood nr. 2116 of the auction catalogue of Kierkegaard’s book collection – there merely described as “dainty binding with gilt edges”. The title-gilding on the spine, including the types, the fond, and the size, is identical to that of the five presentation-bindings of the second edition of Either-Or that have been preserved and identified (the ones for Hertz, Andersen, and Winther being the only ones with the presentation-inscription preserved). The spine- and the border-decoration, however, differs, as there is no decorative border on the other copies, which all have gilt volume-identification on them. This is clearly one of the dainty copies Kierkegaard had made, but differing somewhat from the copies he gave away. The style of the handwritten corrections is identical to those in Kierkegaard’s copy of Stadier paa Livets Vei (Stages on Life’s Way) (ex the collection of Muüllertz). The two corrections are:Vol. 1 p. 208: correcting “ret” to “vel”, i.e. meaning to change the sentence “One rightfully feels” to “One presumably feels”Vol. 1 p. 275: correcting “ikke” to “enten”, i.e. meaning to change the sentence “I could not use the conversation…” to “I could either use the conversation…” The two errors were first publicly identified with the publication of Kierkegaard’s collected works half a century later. It is absolutely magnificent to have here what is with all likelihood Kierkegaard’s own personal copy of his magnum opus, with his own handwritten corrections in it. In the light of the history of the work, it makes perfect sense for Kierkegaard to have used and read the second edition of the work. Kierkegaard’s magnum opus Either-Or is considered the foundational work of existentialism and doubtlessly the most famous work by the greatest Scandinavian philosopher of all times, who ""is now generally considered to be, however eccentric, one of the most important Christian philosophers"" (PMM 314). Kierkegaard's monumental magnum opus seminally influenced later as well as contemporary philosophy and ranks as one of the most important works of philosophy of modern times. Either-Or is the earliest of Kierkegaard’s major works and the work with which he begins his pseudonymous authorship. Kierkegaard’s pseudonymity is an entire subject unto its own. The various cover names he uses play a significant role in his way of communicating and are essential to the understanding of his philosophical and religious messages. And it all properly begins here, with his groundbreaking magnum opus. Conjuring up two distinctive figures with diverging beliefs and modes of life – the aesthetic “A” of Part One, and the ethical B (note that this is the first “pseudonym” that Kierkegaard uses, in his earliest articles – no. I above)/Judge Vilhelm of Part Two, Kierkegaard presents us with the most basic reflections on the search for a meaningful existence, seen from two completely different philosophical views. This masterpiece of duality explores the foundational conflict between the ethical and the aesthetical, providing us along the way with the now so famous contemplations on music (Mozart), drama, boredom, pleasures, virtues, and, probably most famously, seduction (and rejection – The Seducer’s Diary). It is primarily Judge Vilhelm from Part Two of Either-Or that has bestowed upon Kierkegaard the reputation as the Father of Existentialism. His emphasis on taking ownership of oneself and the importance of making choices has made him the (first) personification of Existentialism and the idea that one does not passively develop into the self that he or she should be or ought to become. Kierkegaard went to great lengths to ensure that the public would not know the identity of the author was of Either-Or. He even had the draft of the work done by several hands, so that employees at the printer’s would also be deceived. Despite his efforts, however, it did not take long for the public to guess that Kierkegaard had written this astounding work. But Kierkegaard himself kept up the façade and did not accept authorship until several years later. Nothing Kierkegaard did was left to chance, which his carefully chosen pseudonyms also reflect. This also spills over in his presentation-inscriptions, which follow as strict a pattern as the pseudonyms themselves – he never signed himself the author, if his Christian name was not listed as the author on the title-page. And seeing that he had not accepted authorship of Either-Or and is not mentioned by name anywhere on the title-page (also not as the editor nor publisher as with the other pseudonymous works), he was not able to give away copies of his magnum opus, which is why no presentation-copy of the first edition exists. The appearance of the second edition of this monumental work was, naturally, carefully planned. Either-Or first appeared in 1843, and due to the great demand for the work, which had originally only been printed in ca 525 copies, it had quickly been sold out" but Kierkegaard refused to have it reprinted. In 1849, finally, he decided to let it appear again, in a textually unchanged version. When the second edition appeared (recte second issue), Kierkegaard had meanwhile owned up to the authorship of Either-Or. He had done so in 1846, in his Concluding Unscientific Postscript to The Philosophical Fragments (own translation): “For the sake of manners and etiquette I hereby acknowledge, what can hardly in reality be of interest to anybody to know, that I am, as one says, the author of Either-Or (Victor Eremita), Copenhagen in February 1843...”. Now, finally, Kierkegaard could give away his magnum opus! In his Papers from 1849, Kierkegaard states (own translation): “The poets here at home each received a copy of Either-Or. I thought it my duty and now I was able to do it because now one cannot reasonably claim that a conspiracy is made concerning the book. -because the book is now old and its crisis over. Of course they were given the copy from Victor Eremita...” (Pap., X1A 402). Naturally, because “as little as I in Either-Or is the Seductor or the Assessor, as little am I the publisher Victor Eremita, exactly as little" he is a poetically-real subjective thinker, as he is also found in “in vino veritas.” “ (the postscript to the Postscript, 1846) But he only sent few copies to very choice people, fewer than he did most of his other works, and only three copies have been identified (to Henrik Hertz, Christian Winther, and Hans Christian Andersen). Three further copies in gift-bindings corresponding to these have been identified, but in these copies, the leaf with the presentation-inscription has also been torn out. He must have given away yet another copy – one presumably not being on vellum-paper, as, according to his own notes, he had asked the printers for six copies on vellum paper (see Pap., Vol. X, part five, p. (203).) -, making the total known (albeit not all identified) number of copies seven. “Two copies in a binding corresponding to Hertz’s copy have been traced, but in both, the front free end-paper has been torn out. It leads one to think that the completely unusual presentation inscription (signed by Victor Eremita!), for the immediate posterity has been of such a curious nature that it has tempted autograph hunters on several occasions.” (Tekstspejle, p. 97, translated from Danish). “The other book, of which the recipients stand out is the second edition of Either-Or, which appeared in May 1849. The first edition from 1843 had been sold out for several years, but Kierkegaard had refused to have it reprinted. In our context we must remember that in 1843, he was unable to send gift copies of the first edition… When, in 1843, he lets Either-Or be reprinted in textually unaltered form, he has meanwhile (1846) admitted to authorship of the work. But the wording on the title-pages of the two leaves does not allow him to sign the dedication “from the Author” or “from the publisher” or the like.” (Tekstspejle p. 96, translated from Danish). Either-Or is now not only the title of Kierkegaard’s most famous and widely read work, it is also a phrase that summarizes much of the thinking for which he is best known and a cornerstone of what we now characterize as Existentialism. The first edition caused a sensation. The second issue (termed “edition”, although it is textually unaltered) is not only the first edition of the work to appear after Kierkegaard had acknowledged authorship of it and thus also confirmed being one and the same with his most famous pseudonym, it is also the first of Kierkegaard’s works to appear in a second edition or issue. The second edition of the work is thus also of the utmost importance and is one of the only important second editions of any of Kierkegaard’s works. Only a few months after Kierkegaard died (11th of November 1855), at the beginning of April 1856, his books were put up for sale. The sale was an event which created stir among scholars all over Denmark, and the event drew large crowds. Everyone wanted a piece of the recently deceased legend, and bidding was lively. The average price for the single items was nearly a rix-dollar a very high price for that time. As the old Herman Lynge wrote in a letter on the 22nd of May (The Royal Library, Recent Letters, D.), to the famous collector F.S. Bang, “At the sale of Dr. Søren Kierkegaard’s books everything went at very high prices, especially his own works, which brought 2 or 3 times the published prices”.” (Rohde Auction Catalogue, p. LVIJ). Many authors, philosophers, and scholars were present in the auction room, which was completely full, as was the Royal Library, who bought ca 80 lots. “Many of the books, not only his own, were paid for with much higher prices than in the book shops” (In Morgenposten no. 99, 30. April 1856, written by “P.”, translated from Danish). ""Some books were bought by libraries where they still are today, others were bought by private people, who sometimes wrote their names in the front of the books and thus, indirectly, stated that they came from Kierkegaard’s book collection… The edition (of the auction catalogue, 1967) registers all books from Kierkegaard’s book collection that it has hitherto been possible to identify – either in public or in private ownership… All in all, nearly a couple of hundred volumes – i.e. ca. 10 % – of the Kierkegaardian book collection is said to be rediscovered…"" (Rohde). Thus, today, books from Kierkegaard’s library are of the utmost scarcity. Only very few are still possible to acquire, and they hardly ever appear on the market. PMM: 314Himmelstrup 21 The present copy is no. 14 in Girsel's ""Kierkegaard"" (The Catalogue) which can be found here.‎

‎Enten – Eller. Et Livs=Fragment udgivet af Victor Eremita. Anden Udgave. Første Deel, indeholdende A.’s Papirer + Anden Deel, indeholdende B.’s Papirer, Breve til A. - [IN PRESENTATION-BINDING, ONE OF SIX COPIES ON THIN VELLUM-PAPER]‎

‎Kjøbenhavn, Reitzel, 1849. 8vo. XIV, (2), 320" (4), 250 pp. Bound in one original full patterned cloth binding with gilt lines to spine as well as title in Gothic gilt lettering and gilt volume-numbering (“1.2.”). Printed on thin vellum-paper. Capitals and corners with a bit of wear. Spine and edges of boards a bit faded. But overall very nice. Blue pasted-down end-papers. Internally very nice and clean. Old owner’s signature to inside of front board (J.P. Melbye) and previous owner’s neat pencil annotations explaining that the front free end-paper has been removed, that it may well have carried an inscription from Kierkegaard, and that the binding corresponds to the bindings of the copies that we know he gave away.‎

‎The important second edition (recte issue) in Kierkegaard’s own characteristic presentation-binding, one of the six copies on thin vellum-paper (although we can find mention of seven presentation-copies having been given away, Kierkegaard notes himself that he had six copies printed on special paper). There is no doubt that the present copy is in Kierkegaard’s gift- (or presentation-) binding, which he had made in the same style for the copies that he gave away. He always wrote the presentation-inscription on the front free end-paper, which is unfortunately lacking here, so that we cannot determine, to whom he gave the present copy. The binding corresponds to the one that gave to e.g. Henrik Hertz (which still has the presentation-inscription). Kierkegaard’s magnum opus Either-Or is considered the foundational work of existentialism and doubtlessly the most famous work by the greatest Scandinavian philosopher of all times, who ""is now generally considered to be, however eccentric, one of the most important Christian philosophers"" (PMM 314). Kierkegaard's monumental magnum opus seminally influenced later as well as contemporary philosophy and ranks as one of the most important works of philosophy of modern times. Either-Or is the earliest of Kierkegaard’s major works and the work with which he begins his pseudonymous authorship. Kierkegaard’s pseudonymity is an entire subject unto its own. The various cover names he uses play a significant role in his way of communicating and are essential to the understanding of his philosophical and religious messages. And it all properly begins here, with his groundbreaking magnum opus. Conjuring up two distinctive figures with diverging beliefs and modes of life – the aesthetic “A” of Part One, and the ethical B (note that this is the first “pseudonym” that Kierkegaard uses, in his earliest articles – no. I above)/Judge Vilhelm of Part Two, Kierkegaard presents us with the most basic reflections on the search for a meaningful existence, seen from two completely different philosophical views. This masterpiece of duality explores the foundational conflict between the ethical and the aesthetical, providing us along the way with the now so famous contemplations on music (Mozart), drama, boredom, pleasures, virtues, and, probably most famously, seduction (and rejection – The Seducer’s Diary). It is primarily Judge Vilhelm from Part Two of Either-Or that has bestowed upon Kierkegaard the reputation as the Father of Existentialism. His emphasis on taking ownership of oneself and the importance of making choices has made him the (first) personification of Existentialism and the idea that one does not passively develop into the self that he or she should be or ought to become. Kierkegaard went to great lengths to ensure that the public would not know the identity of the author was of Either-Or. He even had the draft of the work done by several hands, so that employees at the printer’s would also be deceived. Despite his efforts, however, it did not take long for the public to guess that Kierkegaard had written this astounding work. But Kierkegaard himself kept up the façade and did not accept authorship until several years later. Nothing Kierkegaard did was left to chance, which his carefully chosen pseudonyms also reflect. This also spills over in his presentation-inscriptions, which follow as strict a pattern as the pseudonyms themselves – he never signed himself the author, if his Christian name was not listed as the author on the title-page. And seeing that he had not accepted authorship of Either-Or and is not mentioned by name anywhere on the title-page (also not as the editor nor publisher as with the other pseudonymous works), he was not able to give away copies of his magnum opus, which is why no presentation-copy of the first edition exists. The appearance of the second edition of this monumental work was, naturally, carefully planned. Either-Or first appeared in 1843, and due to the great demand for the work, which had originally only been printed in ca 525 copies, it had quickly been sold out" but Kierkegaard refused to have it reprinted. In 1849, finally, he decided to let it appear again, in a textually unchanged version. When the second edition appeared (recte second issue), Kierkegaard had meanwhile owned up to the authorship of Either-Or. He had done so in 1846, in his Concluding Unscientific Postscript to The Philosophical Fragments (own translation): “For the sake of manners and etiquette I hereby acknowledge, what can hardly in reality be of interest to anybody to know, that I am, as one says, the author of Either-Or (Victor Eremita), Copenhagen in February 1843...”. Now, finally, Kierkegaard could give away his magnum opus! In his Papers from 1849, Kierkegaard states (own translation): “The poets here at home each received a copy of Either-Or. I thought it my duty and now I was able to do it because now one cannot reasonably claim that a conspiracy is made concerning the book. -because the book is now old and its crisis over. Of course they were given the copy from Victor Eremita...” (Pap., X1A 402). Naturally, because “as little as I in Either-Or is the Seductor or the Assessor, as little am I the publisher Victor Eremita, exactly as little" he is a poetically-real subjective thinker, as he is also found in “in vino veritas.” “ (the postscript to the Postscript, 1846) But he only sent few copies to very choice people, fewer than he did most of his other works, and only three copies have been identified (to Henrik Hertz, Christian Winther, and Hans Christian Andersen). Three further copies in gift-bindings corresponding to these have been identified, but in these copies, the leaf with the presentation-inscription has also been torn out. He must have given away yet another copy – one presumably not being on vellum-paper, as, according to his own notes, he had asked the printers for six copies on vellum paper (see Pap., Vol. X, part five, p. (203).) -, making the total known (albeit not all identified) number of copies seven. “Two copies in a binding corresponding to Hertz’s copy have been traced, but in both, the front free end-paper has been torn out. It leads one to think that the completely unusual presentation inscription (signed by Victor Eremita!), for the immediate posterity has been of such a curious nature that it has tempted autograph hunters on several occasions.” (Tekstspejle, p. 97, translated from Danish). “The other book, of which the recipients stand out is the second edition of Either-Or, which appeared in May 1849. The first edition from 1843 had been sold out for several years, but Kierkegaard had refused to have it reprinted. In our context we must remember that in 1843, he was unable to send gift copies of the first edition… When, in 1843, he lets Either-Or be reprinted in textually unaltered form, he has meanwhile (1846) admitted to authorship of the work. But the wording on the title-pages of the two leaves does not allow him to sign the dedication “from the Author” or “from the publisher” or the like.” (Tekstspejle p. 96, translated from Danish). Either-Or is now not only the title of Kierkegaard’s most famous and widely read work, it is also a phrase that summarizes much of the thinking for which he is best known and a cornerstone of what we now characterize as Existentialism. The first edition caused a sensation. The second issue (termed “edition”, although it is textually unaltered) is not only the first edition of the work to appear after Kierkegaard had acknowledged authorship of it and thus also confirmed being one and the same with his most famous pseudonym, it is also the first of Kierkegaard’s works to appear in a second edition or issue. The second edition of the work is thus also of the utmost importance and is one of the only important second editions of any of Kierkegaard’s works. PMM: 314 Himmelstrup 21 The present copy is no. 15 in Girsel's ""Kierkegaard"" (The Catalogue) which can be found here.‎

‎Enten-teller, bind 1.‎

‎Gyldendals Bogklub. 1982. In-8. Relié toilé. Bon état, Couv. convenable, Dos satisfaisant, Intérieur frais. 437 pages.. . . . Classification Dewey : 490-Autres langues‎

‎Bind 1. Classification Dewey : 490-Autres langues‎

‎Fire opbyggelige Taler af S. Kierkegaard. - [ONE OF TWO KNOWN PRESENTATION-COPIES - THE ONE FOR HEIBERG]‎

‎Kjøbenhavn, Philipsen, 1843. 8vo. 84 pp. Original gift-binding of the black glitted paper with single gilt lines to spine and all edges gilt. A bit of wear to corners and edges front hinge a bit weak and paper cracked. Spine neatly restored, preserving almost all of the original spine. Tiny loss of paper at back hinge. Very light occasional brownspotting. With the book-plate of Karl Madsen to inside of front board.‎

‎One of two known presentation-copies, this being inscribed by Kierkegaard to Heiberg, of the important Four Upbuilding Discourses, the religious companion to Repetiton from the same year, inscribed by Kierkegaard to Heiberg on front free end-paper: “Til / Hr. Professor J.L. Heiberg / R af D. / ærbødigst / fra / Forfatteren. (i.e. For / Mr. Professor / J. L. Heiberg / R af D (i.e. Ridder (Knight) of Dannebrog) / most respectfully / from the Author). Kierkegaard's Upbuilding (or Edifying) Discourses were published over the course of two years, in 1843 and 1844. In all, 18 Upbuilding Discourses were published, divided over six publications, namely: Two Upbuilding Discourses from 1843, Three Upbuilding Discourses from 1843, Four Upbuilding Discourses from 1843, Two Upbuilding Discourses from 1844, Three Upbuilding Discourses from 1844, Four Upbuilding Discourses from 1844. Each of these publications accompanied one of the main pseudonymous works, beginning with Either-Or in 1843. As opposed to his major philosophical works, the religious upbuilding discourses actually bear the name of the author on the title-page. Of course, this was by no means incidental. While the pseudonymous works could raise the question of the religiousness of the author, the parallelly written religious discourses stress the fact that we are dealing with an author, who was religious from the very beginning – an essential fact that Kierkegaard wished to stress for those interested in his authorship. In his journals, Kierkegaard clearly states that the religious discourses are as significant in his oeuvre as a whole as are the larger pseudonymous works, “I began with “Either-Or” and two upbuilding discourses...” he says, and explains that he intended the upbuilding, the religious, to advance, and that he wanted to show “that the writer was not an aesthetic author who in the course of time grew older and for that reason became religious”. (Journals, IX A 227). He was religious all along, also during all of the major philosophical publications that were not written in his name. The fact that every major pseudonymous work – up until Concluding Unscientific Postscript appeared and revealed the identity of the real author – was accompanied by one of these small Upbuilding Discourses, bears testament to the pivotal role they play in Kierkegaard’s philosophical development. Furthermore, while Kierkegaard could not present anyone with copies of his pseudonymous works (as his name did not appear as the author on the title-page), he could indeed give away presentation-copies of his accompanying Upbuilding Discourses, which he then did. Most of these presentation-copies are in the typical black glitted paper bindings with single gilt lines to spines. Some, however, are in the original printed boards. The trade copies appeared in original wrappers, some of them blank, some of them printed, repeating the printing from the title-page within a printed frame. In May 1845, the publisher Philipsen buys the remainder issues of all six Discourse-publications, has a joint title-page printed along with a contents-leaf and now issues all six Discourse-publications together under the title Eighteen Upbuilding Discourses. The idea of the Eighteen Upbuilding Discourses was not Kierkegaard's. He had agreed to it, but it was not his intended project with the Upbuilding Discourses. Therefore, he wished for the book not to be reviewed, and he naturally did not give away any copies of the Eighteen Upbuilding Discourses, only the individual publications. In all, seven presentation-copies of the different Upbuilding Discourses are registered, all being for either Heiberg or Nielsen. Johan Ludvig Heiberg (1791-1860) was a Danish poet, playwright, literary critic, literary historian, philosopher, and quite simply the main cultural figure of 19th century Denmark. Heiberg profoundly influenced all of Danish culture within this period and must be considered the patron of Copenhagen's literati. He was very influential as a thinker in general, and he changed Danish philosophy seminally by introducing Hegel to the Northern countries. Needless to say, Heiberg also played a significant role in relation to Kierkegaard, who will comment on and refer to him continually throughout his career. As the unofficial arbiter of taste for the Danish intellectuals, Heiberg was also an inevitable recipient of Kierkegaard’s works as they were published. “There can be no doubt that Johan Ludvig Heiberg was a very important figure for the development of Kierkegaard’s thought. Heiberg’s criticism dominated an entire generation of literary scholarship and was profoundly influential on the young Kierkegaard. His dramatic works and translations are also frequently referred to and quoted by Kierkegaard and his pseudonyms… However, Heiberg was also a philosopher… His philosophical profile is clearly that of a Hegelian, and, not least of all due to Kierkegaard’s influence, this has led him to being unfairly dismissed…” (Jon Stewart in: Kierkegaard and his Danish Contemporaries I: p. (35)). Heiberg was there from the very beginning of Kierkegaard’s authorship, and although the two had both diverging personalities, diverging opinions, and diverging philosophies, Kierkegaard will have had respect for his place in society. Kierkegaard viewed himself as somewhat of an outsider, and it was of great importance to him to try and enter the famous literary and cultural circle of Heiberg. Heiberg is known for founding his own school of criticism and for his brilliant polemics against literary giants of the period. He was without comparison the most dominant literary critic of the period, and he reformed Danish theatre, introducing eg. French vaudeville to the Danish stage. Although through foreign influence, he ended up creating for the first time an actual national theatre in Denmark. “Heiberg’s success in so many different fields during such a rich period is truly remarkable.” (Jon Stewart). Furthermore, he profoundly influenced Danish philosophy and was pioneering in introducing Hegelian philosophy to the country. Himmelstrup: 58.‎

‎Forførerens Dagbog. Med et indledende Forord af Hans Brix.‎

‎København, Christians=Pressens Forlag, 1919. Ubeskåret i orig. helldrbd. med blindtryk på ryg og permer. 163 pp. Kobberstukket titelvignet of kobberstukket portræt af Søren Kierkegaard, stukket af Knud Hendriksen, trykt af kobbertrykker Johan Beck. Trykt på Van Gelder Zonen papir.Nr. 71 af 325 eksemplarer.‎

‎Forførerens Dagbog. Med et indledende Forord af Hans Brix.‎

‎København, Christians=Pressens Forlag, 1919. Ubeskåret i orig. helldrbd. med blindtryk på ryg og permer. 163 pp. Kobberstukket titelvignet of kobberstukket portræt af Søren Kierkegaard, stukket af Knud Hendriksen, trykt af kobbertrykker Johan Beck. Trykt på Van Gelder Zonen papir.Nr. 67 af 325 eksemplarer.‎

‎Forord. Morskabslæsning for enkelte Stænder efter Tid og Leilighed af Nicolaus Notabene. K., 1844. 110pp.‎

‎Ubeskåret i orig. hollanderet bd. m. den bogtrykte titeletiket. Forperm lidt løs. Sidste 30 sider m. skjold. Noget brunplettet.‎

‎Originaludgave. Himmelstrup 70. Har tilhørt Vilhelm Grønbeck.‎

‎Forord. Morskabslæsning for enkelte Stænder efter Tid og Leilighed af Nicolaus Notabene. - [KIERKEGAARD'S MOST HUMOROUS WORK - A FORERUNNER OF POSTMODERNISM]‎

‎Kjøbenhavn, C.A. Reitzel, 1844. 8vo. A splendid copy in contemporary full cloth with blindstamped decorations to boards and gothic gilt lettering to spine. Light damp stains to back board and a bit of wear to capitals. Internally unusually nice and clean. 110, (1) pp. With an inscription for Josephine Bidoulac (later married to Welhaven), from Emil Wedel, to front fly-leaf. Pencil annotations by Jonas Skovgaard to front free end-paper. ‎

‎The uncommon first edition, in a lovely copy, of Kierkegaard's most humorous work. Published simultaneously with The Concept of Anxiety, Prefaces can be viewed as its companion piece. It represents an altogether different genre, but the two fictional authors of the works interestingly contrast each other. Although having been eclipsed by the now notoriously famous Concept of Anxiety, Prefaces was in fact more popular when it appeared and sold many more copies. Written under the pseudonym of Nicolaus Notabene, the “author” name indicates that despite its humorous approach, Prefaces is still something serious – something to be noted. And it certainly is. It is here that we find Kierkegaard’s sarcastic roasting of the Hegelian system and of the Danish Hegelians with Johan Ludvig Heiberg as the main representant. Through Notabene, he makes fun of Heiberg and Hegel, who both want to explain everything and want to be mediators of understanding. Just as Hafniensis in The Concept on Anxiety poses that “how sin came into the world each man understands solely by himself. If he would learn it from another, he would misunderstand it” (p. 51), so Notabene in Prefaces states that “My frame, my health, my entire constitution do not lend themselves to mediation” (p. 45). In Prefaces we also find Kierkegaard’s thoughts about the relationship between the reading public and the author and his fierce criticism of literary critics and reviewers. And in the very amusing preface to the Prefaces, we are given another glimpse into Kierkegaard’s thoughts on marriage and the dilemma he found himself in with Regine – the inner struggle between he, who is the husband and he, who is the author can one be both? With its challenging notions on the idea of the book and the interaction of the book with its readers, his little ironic masterpiece is a clear forerunner of Postmodernism Himmelstrup 7.‎

‎Forord. Morskabslæsning for enkelte Stænder efter Tid og Leilighed af Nicoilaus Notabene. - [KIERKEGAARD’S OWN COPY - ONE OF THE TWO COPIES HE HAD MADE FOR REGINE AND FOR HIMSELF]‎

‎Kjøbenhavn, Reitzel, 1844. Small 8vo. 110, (1) pp. Splendidly bound in beautiful ornamental mint green patterned paper over boards with branches, flowers, birds, squirrels, and dogs in a relief-pattern. Green end-papers and all edges gilt. Printed on fine vellum-paper. Slight soiling to spine and a bit of wear to paper on spine and over boards, where the relief is high. But a splendid, tight copy with no restorations and absolutely minimal brownspotting.Back pasted-down end-paper with a later, neat pencil-inscription from the previous owner stating that this is Kierkegaard’s own copy, bought by Høedt at the auction after Kierkegaard’s death and stating where the previous owner found the copy in 1995.Housed in a beautiful marbled paper box with richly gilt greenish morocco spine in ornamental pastichestyle with a red gilt leather title-label with Gothic gilt lettering. Gilt super ex-libris to front board (Anker Kysters Eftf., gilt by Hagel Olsen).‎

‎The most splendid copy of the first edition possible, namely Kierkegaard’s own copy, one of the two copies he had printed on special paper and specially bound, one for Regine, one for himself. This is Kierkegaard’s own copy that he kept himself, from the love-set of the two copies of Prefaces he had made, where the other was for Regine. One of the two copies of the book that he had made on special paper and bound in this particularly beautiful and romantic binding. Kierkegaard had his eight pseudonymous works made like this, one for Regine, one for himself. So far, only four of these have surfaced, Regine’s copies of Repetition, Prefaces, and Either-Or (all sold at auction in 2002), and Kierkegaard’s own copy of Either-Or (in the Danish Royal Library). The other copies are unregistered, and the whereabouts unknown. The present copy is presumably that described merely as “dainty w. gilt edges”, nr. 2133 from the auction catalogue of Kierkegaard's books sold after his death. Published simultaneously with The Concept of Anxiety, Prefaces can be viewed as its companion piece. It represents an altogether different genre and is the most humorous of all of Kierkegaard’s works, but the two fictional authors of the works interestingly contrast each other. Although having been eclipsed by the now notoriously famous Concept of Anxiety, Prefaces was in fact more popular when it appeared and sold many more copies. Written under the pseudonym of Nicolaus Notabene, the “author” name indicates that despite its humorous approach, Prefaces is still something serious – something to be noted. And it certainly is. It is here that we find Kierkegaard’s sarcastic roasting of the Hegelian system and of the Danish Hegelians with Johan Ludvig Heiberg as the main representant. Through Notabene, he makes fun of Heiberg and Hegel, who both want to explain everything and want to be mediators of understanding. Just as Hafniensis in The Concept on Anxiety poses that “how sin came into the world each man understands solely by himself. If he would learn it from another, he would misunderstand it” (p. 51), so Notabene in Prefaces states that “My frame, my health, my entire constitution do not lend themselves to mediation” (p. 45). In Prefaces we also find Kierkegaard’s thoughts about the relationship between the reading public and the author and his fierce criticism of literary critics and reviewers, among these also Heiberg as well as Martensen, who famously reviewed Either-Or and Repetition respectively. And in the very amusing preface to the Prefaces, we are given another glimpse into Kierkegaard’s thoughts on marriage and the dilemma he found himself in with Regine – the inner struggle between he, who is the husband, and he, who is the author can one be both? With its challenging notions on the idea of the book and the interaction of the book with its readers, his little ironic masterpiece is a clear forerunner of Postmodernism. “Kierkegaard’s ‘Prefaces’ is a brief though not unimportant work. Themes he develops elsewhere at greater length here are presented with characteristic insight and wit. This richly suggestive text has never received the attention it deserves. William McDonald’s fine translation now makes it possible to assess the importance of ‘Prefaces’ for Kierkegaard’s œuvre and to appreciate its significance for philosophical, literary, and theological issues that are still with us.” (From the review of William McDonald’s 1989 edition of Prefaces in English in the Kierkegaard and Postmodernism-series). Written under a pseudonym and without Kierkegaard’s name appearing as publisher or indeed as anything else, he was unable to give away presentation-copies of the work (due to his own strict set of rules for this). Thus, not a single presentation copy of the work exists. A single copy of the book was in the auction catalogue of his book collection after his death – described as in a dainty binding and with all edges gilt. Like Repetition and his other seven pseudonymous works, Prefaces, was printed in two copies both on vellum-paper and bound in special bindings, one for Regine, one for Kierkegaard himself. 24 years ago, three of these books surfaced, at an auction in 2002, namely Either-Or, Repetiton, and Prefaces, all being the copies Kierkegaard had bound for Regine. Before that, only one single copy of one of these eight titles for Kierkegaard himself or for Regine were known (namely Kierkegaard’s own copy of Either-Or, which is in the Danish Royal Library). Seven of the books, Kierkegaard’s own copies, were listed in the auction catalogue after his death, but apart from the mentioned copy of Either-Or in the Royal Library, the others had not been found. Kierkegaard’s wildly famous love story and failed engagement to Regine Olsen plays a pivotal role throughout Kierkegaard’s entire life and work. It all begins in 1837, when Kierkegaard meets the lovely young girl Regine Olsen at a visit to the widowed Cathrine Rørdam. Three years later, in September 1840, after having corresponded frequently with her and visited her on numerous occasions, Kierkegaard decides to ask for her hand in marriage. She and her family accept, but the following day, Kierkegaard regrets his decision and ends up finally breaking off the engagement in October 1841. Disregarding the scandal, the heartbreak (his own included), and the numerous pleas from family members and friends alike, Kierkegaard’s tortured soul, still searching for God and for the meaning of faith, cannot continue living with the promise of marriage. Later the same month, he flees Copenhagen and the scandal surrounding the broken engagement. He leaves for Berlin, the first of his four stays there, clearly tortured by his decision, but also intent on not being able to go through with the engagement. As is evident from his posthumously published Papers, Kierkegaard’s only way out of the relationship was to play a charming, but cold, villain, a charlatan, not betraying his inner thoughts and feelings. Despite the brevity of the engagement, it has gone down in history as one of the most significant in the entire history of modern thought. It is a real-life Werther-story with the father of Existentialism as the main character, thus with the dumbfounding existentialist outcome that no-one could have foreseen. This exceedingly famous and difficult engagement became the introduction to one of the most influential authorships in the last two centuries. “She was the reason for my authorship”, Kierkegaard writes in his Papers, and there is no doubt that several of his most significant works are born out of the relationship with Regine – and its ending. It is during his stay in Berlin, his first of four altogether, right after the rupture of the engagement, that he begins writing Either-Or, parts of which can be read as an almost autobiographical rendering of his failed engagement. After a couple of years, Regine got engaged to someone else, whom she married in 1847. But as is well known, Kierkegaard never married, and the impact of his engagement to Regine and what it made him understand – about himself, about religion, faith, the inner workings of the philosopher and the poet –, never lost its significance. It is evident from the many drafts of a letter that he sent to Regine, through her husband, in 1849 (which was returned to him, unopened) that he had never lain the matter to rest and that the relationship with Regine was still very much alive. He also states in his Notebook 15 from 1849 “By the way, it is certainly the case that my relationship with her has been a very close, present study for me of what faith is. For I know better in this relationship how it is apparently the exact opposite of the foundational. That I have lasted in this relationship has been useful for me in relating to God as a believer.” In his Notebook 15, also known as My Relationship with Her, from 1849, Kierkegaard describes how, when he finally broke off the engagement and she tried to get him to stay, she had told him “that she would thank me her entire life for being allowed to stay with me, even if she were to live in a little cupboard” (SKS No. 16: 6). Thus, Kierkegaard had a little cupboard made, with no shelves in it. Here, he kept “everything that reminds me of her and will remind me of her. There is also a copy of the pseudonyms (i.e. the works that he wrote under a pseudonym)" of these, there were always only two copies on vellum-paper, one for her and one for me.” (SKS: Not. 15:6.). In all, Kierkegaard wrote eight pseudonymous books, Prefaces being one of them, all of which were evidently printed in two copies each on vellum-paper and bound in special bindings, one for Regine, one for Kierkegaard himself. Himmelstrup 70 The present copy is no. 27 in Girsel's ""Kierkegaard"" (The Catalogue) which can be found here.‎

‎Forord. Morskabslæsning for enkelte Stænder efter Tid og Leilighed af Nicolaus Notabene. - [KIERKEGAARD'S SARCASTIC ROASTING OF THE HEGELIAN SYSTEM]‎

‎Kjøbenhavn, Reitzel, 1844. Small 8vo. 110, (1) pp. Completely uncut in the original blue cardboard-binding. Minimal wear to capitals, and hinges with a tiny tear to front upper and back hinge. Minute paper loss to capitals, and minimal loss to one corner. The printed title-label preserved in its entirety. Brownspotting due to the quality of the paper.A truly magnificent copy in completely original state – almost looks like it came straight off the press.‎

‎First edition of Kierkegaard's most humorous book, Prefaces, in the very rare original blue binding in truly magnificent state and with the printed title-label preserved in its entirety. Published simultaneously with The Concept of Anxiety, Prefaces can be viewed as its companion piece. It represents an altogether different genre and is the most humorous of all of Kierkegaard’s works, but the two fictional authors of the works interestingly contrast each other. Although having been eclipsed by the now notoriously famous Concept of Anxiety, Prefaces was in fact more popular when it appeared and sold many more copies. Written under the pseudonym of Nicolaus Notabene, the “author” name indicates that despite its humorous approach, Prefaces is still something serious – something to be noted. And it certainly is. It is here that we find Kierkegaard’s sarcastic roasting of the Hegelian system and of the Danish Hegelians with Johan Ludvig Heiberg as the main representant. Through Notabene, he makes fun of Heiberg and Hegel, who both want to explain everything and want to be mediators of understanding. Just as Hafniensis in The Concept on Anxiety poses that “how sin came into the world each man understands solely by himself. If he would learn it from another, he would misunderstand it” (p. 51), so Notabene in Prefaces states that “My frame, my health, my entire constitution do not lend themselves to mediation” (p. 45). In Prefaces we also find Kierkegaard’s thoughts about the relationship between the reading public and the author and his fierce criticism of literary critics and reviewers, among these also Heiberg as well as Martensen, who famously reviewed Either-Or and Repetition respectively. And in the very amusing preface to the Prefaces, we are given another glimpse into Kierkegaard’s thoughts on marriage and the dilemma he found himself in with Regine – the inner struggle between he, who is the husband, and he, who is the author" can one be both? With its challenging notions on the idea of the book and the interaction of the book with its readers, his little ironic masterpiece is a clear forerunner of Postmodernism. “Kierkegaard’s ‘Prefaces’ is a brief though not unimportant work. Themes he develops elsewhere at greater length here are presented with characteristic insight and wit. This richly suggestive text has never received the attention it deserves. William McDonald’s fine translation now makes it possible to assess the importance of ‘Prefaces’ for Kierkegaard’s œuvre and to appreciate its significance for philosophical, literary, and theological issues that are still with us.” (From the review of William McDonald’s 1989 edition of Prefaces in English in the Kierkegaard and Postmodernism-series). Written under a pseudonym and without Kierkegaard’s name appearing as publisher or indeed as anything else, he was unable to give away presentation-copies of the work (due to his own strict set of rules for this). Thus, not a single presentation copy of the work exists. A single copy of the book was in the auction catalogue of his book collection after his death. Himmelstrup 70. The present copy is no. 28 in Girsel's ""Kierkegaard"" (The Catalogue) which can be found here.‎

‎Frygt og Bæven. Dialektisk Lyrik af Johannes de Silentio. - [FEAR AND TREMBLING - INTRODUCING THE LEAP OF FAITH]‎

‎Kjøbenhavn, 1843. 8vo. Contemporary dark brown half cloth with gilt lettering to spine. Capitals and a bit of the front hinge worn, but overall very nice and tight. Internally a bit of brownspotting (as always due to the quality of the paper), but less than usual. Old owner's signature to title-page. VIII, 135 pp.‎

‎First edition of one of Kierkegaard's most important and sought-after works, Fear and Trembling, which is rather more difficult to find than most of his other works. Fear and Trembling is one of Kierkegaard’s most important works. And it is also one of his most difficult. It deals – in forceful brevity – with the relationship between reason and faith and provides us with Kierkegaard’s most thorough exposition of the religious stage, which he considered the most meaningful form of existence. It is here that Kierkegaard introduces the “tragic hero” and contrasts it to the “Knight of Faith”, who both ignore their own wishes for a higher good. These two essential figures epitomize the ethical and the religious and pave the way for the understanding of these stages in Kierkegaard’s philosophy. It is arguably also here that the idea of the essential leap of faith is introduced for the first time. The Knight of Faith sacrifices his son at the command of God and thus sets aside an ethical demand in in order to attain a higher goal that exists beyond the ethical. This teleological suspension of the ethical requires a leap of faith that is only possible through faith in virtue of the absurd. Himmelstrup 48.‎

‎Frygt og Bæven. Dialektisk Lyrik af Johannes de Silentio. - [A SPLENDID COPY IN THE ORIGINAL BINDING]‎

‎Kjøbenhavn, Reitzel, 1843. 8vo. VIII, 135 pp. Completely uncut in the original blue cardboard binding. Spine and front hinge neatly restored, preserving part of the original printed title-label. Brownspotting as usual. Overall a very nice copy indeed. Old owners’ names to inside of front board (N. Pedersen 18/8 1879 and C. Wegener).‎

‎A splendid copy of one of Kierkegaard's most splendid and most sought-after works in the original binding, which is extremely rare. The spines of the original Kierkegaard cardboard bindings are always just thin paper directly glued on the block, making them extremely fragile, and the original paper-labels are hardly every preserved. Although Fear and Trembling is evidently printed in the same number of copies as almost all the other works by Kierkegaard (i.e. ca 525), this is one of the most difficult of his works to find in the first edition. Perhaps later research will show whether unsold copies were destroyed, which seems unlikely, however. We know that in July or August 1847, 321 copies of Fear and Trembling had been sold. What we also know is that it is highly sought-after by collectors and much less frequently on the market than most of Kierkegaard’s other works. It is very odd that not a single copy on special paper or in a gift-binding, presentation-copy or anything like that has been located or registered. For this title, a Kierkegaard-collector will have to make do with a “normal” copy. The present copy, in the original binding, and completely uncut, is the best copy we have come across over the last many decades. FEAR AND TREMBLING is one of Kierkegaard’s most important works. And it is also one of his most difficult. It deals – in forceful brevity – with the relationship between reason and faith and provides us with Kierkegaard’s most thorough exposition of the religious stage, which he considered the most meaningful form of existence. Setting the scene in his Preface with the punchy opening lines: “Not merely in the realm of commerce but in the world of ideas as well our age is organizing a regular clearance sale. Everything is to be had at such a bargain that it is questionable whether in the end there is anybody who will want to bid.”(Preface, Walter Lowrie’s translation, 1941), Kierkegaard begins the work with a rendering of the biblical tale of Abraham and Isak from the Old Testament, using it to illustrate how religious reasons can triumph over ethical. It is here that Kierkegaard introduces the “tragic hero” and contrasts it to the “Knight of Faith”, who both ignore their own wishes for a higher good. These two essential figures epitomize the ethical and the religious and pave the way for the understanding of these stages in Kierkegaard’s philosophy. It is arguably also here that the idea of the essential leap of faith is introduced for the first time. The Knight of Faith sacrifices his son at the command of God and thus sets aside an ethical demand in in order to attain a higher goal that exists beyond the ethical. This teleological suspension of the ethical requires a leap of faith that is only possible through faith in virtue of the absurd. In many ways, Fear and Trembling is the most forceful of Kierkegaard’s works, as is also indicated by the title. Kierkegaard himself also considered it one of his most significant productions and wrote in his posthumously published Notebooks: “Oh, once I am dead, Fear and Trembling alone will be enough for an imperishable name as an author. Then it will be read, translated into foreign languages as well. The reader will almost shrink from the frightful pathos in the book.” (NB 12:147, 1849). This splendidly dense work which so magnificently weaves together existential concerns with biblical interpretation is responsible for the introduction of many of the concepts that are most fundamental to Kierkegaard’s philosophy and is essential to the understanding of his thought. Not a single presentation-copy of the work is known to exist and none has ever been registered nor identified. We know from the auction catalogue that Kierkegaard had two copies in his collection, one in “dainty binding”, but neither copy has been located. Himmelstrup 48 The present copy is no. 18 in Girsel's ""Kierkegaard"" (The Catalogue) which can be found here.‎

‎Gjentagelsen. Et Forsøg i den experimenterende Psychologi af Constantin Constantius.‎

‎K., 1843. Lidt senere simpelt hshirtbd. Rent ekspl. 157 pp.‎

‎Originaludgave. Himmelstrup 53.‎

‎Gjentagelsen. Et Forsøg i den experimenterende Psychologi af Constantin Constantius.‎

‎K., 1843. Ubeskåret i et nydeligt senere mønstret mørkegrønt papirsbindd. Mangler 1/3 af skindtitlen på ryggen. Hér og dér noget plettet, revne på titelbl. restaureret.‎

‎Originaludgave. Himmelstrup 53.‎

‎Gjentagelsen. Et Forsøg i den experimenterende Psychologi af Constantin Constantius. - [KIERKEGAARD’S OWN COPY - ONE OF THE TWO COPIES HE HAD MADE FOR REGINE AND FOR HIMSELF]‎

‎Kjøbenhavn, Reitzel, 1843. Small 8vo. 157 pp. Splendidly bound in beautiful patterned pink moiré-paper covered with red and green floriated gilt branches. Rebacked in nearly matching paper. Blue silk end-papers. All edges gilt. Printed on thick vellum-paper. A splendid copy with light edgewear and absolutely minimal brownspotting. Contemporary inscription to front fly-leaf stating that this is Kierkegaard’s own copy and that it was bought at the auction after him, April 1856 (presumably in the hand of Herman H.J. Lynge). Housed in a beautiful marbled paper box with red Morocco spine. Spine with gilt lines and gilt gothic lettering stating title, the pseudonymous author name and that this is Kierkegaard’s own copy printed on heavy vellum-paper.‎

‎Kierkegaard’s own copy of Repetition, one of the two copies he had printed on special paper and specially bound, one for Regine, one for himself, with a correction in Kierkegaard’s hand. This is as close as one comes to the love story of Regine and Kierkegaard – this is Kierkegaard’s own copy that he kept himself, from the love-set of the two copies of Repetition he had made, where the other was for Regine. One of the two copies of the book that he had made on special paper and bound in this particularly beautiful and romantic binding with gilding and flowers. Kierkegaard had his eight pseudonymous works made like this, one for Regine, one for himself. So far, only four of these have surfaced, Regine’s copies of Repetition, Prefaces, and Either-Or (all three sold at auction in 2002), and Kierkegaard’s own copy of Either-Or (which is in the Danish Royal Library). The other copies are unregistered, and the whereabouts unknown. The present copy is presumably that described merely as “dainty w. gilt edges”, nr. 2125 from the auction catalogue, which Herman H.L. Lynge bought at the auction. The correction is to be found on p. 80, where “legede” (played) has been changed to “levede” (lived). See Pap. IV B99. REPETITION – not only the title of one of his most significant books, but also a key concept in the philosophy of Kierkegaard – was written during the same brief spell of feverish activity that also produced Fear and Trembling the two books were even published on the same day. ”Say what you will, this question will play a very important role in modern philosophy, for repetition is a crucial expression for what “recollection” was to the Greeks. Just as they taught that all knowing is a recollecting, modern philosophy will teach that all life is a repetition.” (Repetition, p. 3 – translation by Hong), Kierkegaard states in the beginning of his treatise, anticipating the importance that his concept of Repetition is to have for modern philosophy. Written in the narrative form of an experimental novel centered on two stories that are internally linked, Kierkegaard lets us understand what Repetition could be and what it is in his philosophy. The first story portrays Repetition as something empty and trivial, whereas the second portrays it as an ethical category that is inextricably linked to religion. Repetition is that which makes it possible for man to become and to remain present in the present. Kierkegaard’s explanation of his key concept of Repetition is exhausted in the present work, but it also plays a significant rôle throughout his later works and is considered one of the key concepts in his philosophy. The work is centered around the story of a young man, who has fallen in love with an innocent young girl to whom he has become engaged. But, finding himself unable to consummate the love because of poetic stirrings inside himself, he tries to understand what is going on inside him and whether or not he should break off the engagement. The elderly Constantin Constantius, one of Kierkegaard’s numerous pseudonyms, interferes with the emotions of our young man and begins to conduct speculative experiments with him that are meant to investigate whether a repetition (of the relationship with the girl, of the young man’s feelings, etc.) might be possible. At the end of the first part, the young man flees Copenhagen and leaves the girl, presumably at her wits’ end. Later, she marries someone else, and the young man transforms into the true poet that he could only be when unattached to the girl he loved. It does not take much of an imagination to link this story to the Kierkegaard’s own wildly famous love story and failed engagement to Regine Olsen. It all begins in 1837, when Kierkegaard meets the lovely young girl Regine Olsen at a visit to the widowed Cathrine Rørdam. Three years later, in September 1840, after having corresponded frequently with her and visited her on numerous occasions, Kierkegaard decides to ask for her hand in marriage. She and her family accept, but the following day, Kierkegaard regrets his decision and ends up finally breaking off the engagement in October 1841. Disregarding the scandal, the heartbreak (his own included), and the numerous pleas from family members and friends alike, Kierkegaard’s tortured soul, still searching for God and for the meaning of faith, cannot continue living with the promise of marriage. Later the same month, he flees Copenhagen and the scandal surrounding the broken engagement. He leaves for Berlin, the first of his four stays there, clearly tortured by his decision, but also intent on not being able to go through with the engagement. As is evident from his posthumously published Papers, Kierkegaard’s only way out of the relationship was to play a charming, but cold, villain, a charlatan, not betraying his inner thoughts and feelings. Despite the brevity of the engagement, it has gone down in history as one of the most significant in the entire history of modern thought. It is a real-life Werther-story with the father of Existentialism as the main character, thus with the dumbfounding existentialist outcome that no-one could have foreseen. This exceedingly famous and difficult engagement became the introduction to one of the most influential authorships in the last two centuries. “She was the reason for my authorship”, Kierkegaard writes in his Papers, and there is no doubt that several of his most significant works are born out of the relationship with Regine – and its ending. It is during his stay in Berlin, his first of four altogether, right after the rupture of the engagement, that he begins writing Either-Or, parts of which, like Repetition, can be read as an almost autobiographical rendering of his failed engagement. Repetition, more than any other work, lets us see how Kierkegaard came to be as an author through his tumultuous inner life during his engagement and the ending of it. After a couple of years, Regine got engaged to someone else, whom she married in 1847. But as is well known, Kierkegaard never married, and the impact of his engagement to Regine and what it made him understand – about himself, about religion, faith, the inner workings of the philosopher and the poet –, never lost its significance. It is evident from the many drafts of a letter that he sent to Regine, through her husband, in 1849 (which was returned to him, unopened) that he had never lain the matter to rest and that the relationship with Regine was still very much alive. He also states in his Notebook 15 from 1849 “By the way, it is certainly the case that my relationship with her has been a very close, present study for me of what faith is. For I know better in this relationship how it is apparently the exact opposite of the foundational. That I have lasted in this relationship has been useful for me in relating to God as a believer.” In his Notebook 15, also known as My Relationship with Her, from 1849, Kierkegaard describes how, when he finally broke off the engagement and she tried to get him to stay, she had told him “that she would thank me her entire life for being allowed to stay with me, even if she were to live in a little cupboard” (SKS No. 16: 6). Thus, Kierkegaard had a little cupboard made, with no shelves in it. Here, he kept “everything that reminds me of her and will remind me of her. There is also a copy of the pseudonyms (i.e. the works that he wrote under a pseudonym)" of these, there were always only two copies on vellum-paper, one for her and one for me.” (SKS: Not. 15:6.). Here we have it – the closest we get to this pivotal love affair from which grew one of the most important philosophical-religious authorships in the Western world. In all, Kierkegaard wrote eight pseudonymous books, Repetition being one of them, all of which were evidently printed in two copies each on vellum-paper and bound in special bindings, one for Regine, one for Kierkegaard himself. 24 years ago, three of these books surfaced, at an auction in 2002, namely Either-Or, Repetiton, and Prefaces, all being the copies Kierkegaard had bound for Regine. Before that, only one single copy of one of these eight titles for Kierkegaard himself or for Regine were known (namely Kierkegaard’s own copy of Either-Or, which is in the Danish Royal Library). Seven of the books, Kierkegaard’s own copies, were listed in the auction catalogue after his death, but apart from the mentioned copy of Either-Or in the Royal Library, the others had not been found. The four known copies are all bound in very particular, beautiful, patterned bindings with flowers and gold, in either pink or white. Like Fear and Trembling, there are no presentation-copies known to exist of Repetition. Himmelstrup 53 The present copy is no. 19 in Girsel's ""Kierkegaard"" (The Catalogue) which can be found here.‎

‎Gjentagelsen. Et Forsøg i den experimenterende Psychologi af Constantin Constantius. - [A SPLENDID COPY IN THE ORIGINBAL BINDING]‎

‎Kjøbenhavn, Reitzel, 1843. Small 8vo. 157 pp. Original blue cardboard-binding. The spine has been restored, but it has the original printed paper title-label partly preserved. Hinges are a bit weak, and there is some edgewear. Browning and brownspotting, but not more than usual. Completely uncut. Housed in a nice custom-made half lather box in pastiche style with richly gilt spine.‎

‎The first edition in the very rare original blue binding with most of the original printed title-label preserved. REPETITION – not only the title of one of his most significant books, but also a key concept in the philosophy of Kierkegaard – was written during the same brief spell of feverish activity that also produced Fear and Trembling the two books were even published on the same day. ”Say what you will, this question will play a very important role in modern philosophy, for repetition is a crucial expression for what “recollection” was to the Greeks. Just as they taught that all knowing is a recollecting, modern philosophy will teach that all life is a repetition.” (Repetition, p. 3 – translation by Hong), Kierkegaard states in the beginning of his treatise, anticipating the importance that his concept of Repetition is to have for modern philosophy. Written in the narrative form of an experimental novel centered on two stories that are internally linked, Kierkegaard lets us understand what Repetition could be and what it is in his philosophy. The first story portrays Repetition as something empty and trivial, whereas the second portrays it as an ethical category that is inextricably linked to religion. Repetition is that which makes it possible for man to become and to remain present in the present. Kierkegaard’s explanation of his key concept of Repetition is exhausted in the present work, but it also plays a significant role throughout his later works and is considered one of the key concepts in his philosophy. The work is centered around the story of a young man, who has fallen in love with an innocent young girl to whom he has become engaged. But, finding himself unable to consummate the love because of poetic stirrings inside himself, he tries to understand what is going on inside him and whether or not he should break off the engagement. The elderly Constantin Constantius, one of Kierkegaard’s numerous pseudonyms, interferes with the emotions of our young man and begins to conduct speculative experiments with him that are meant to investigate whether a repetition (of the relationship with the girl, of the young man’s feelings, etc.) might be possible. At the end of the first part, the young man flees Copenhagen and leaves the girl, presumably at her wits’ end. Later, she marries someone else, and the young man transforms into the true poet that he could only be when unattached to the girl he loved. It does not take much of an imagination to link this story to the Kierkegaard’s own wildly famous love story and failed engagement to Regine Olsen. It all begins in 1837, when Kierkegaard meets the lovely young girl Regine Olsen at a visit to the widowed Cathrine Rørdam. Three years later, in September 1840, after having corresponded frequently with her and visited her on numerous occasions, Kierkegaard decides to ask for her hand in marriage. She and her family accept, but the following day, Kierkegaard regrets his decision and ends up finally breaking off the engagement in October 1841. Disregarding the scandal, the heartbreak (his own included), and the numerous pleas from family members and friends alike, Kierkegaard’s tortured soul, still searching for God and for the meaning of faith, cannot continue living with the promise of marriage. Later the same month, he flees Copenhagen and the scandal surrounding the broken engagement. He leaves for Berlin, the first of his four stays there, clearly tortured by his decision, but also intent on not being able to go through with the engagement. As is evident from his posthumously published Papers, Kierkegaard’s only way out of the relationship was to play a charming, but cold, villain, a charlatan, not betraying his inner thoughts and feelings. It is during his stay in Berlin, his first of four altogether, right after the rupture of the engagement, that he begins writing Either-Or, parts of which, like Repetition, can be read as an almost autobiographical rendering of his failed engagement. Repetition, more than any other work, lets us see how Kierkegaard came to be as an author through his tumultuous inner life during his engagement and the ending of it. Like Fear and Trembling, there are no presentation-copies known to exist of Repetition. Himmelstrup 53‎