"Louis Bertrand's Gaspard de la Nuit: Fantasies in the Manner of Rembrandt and Callot (published in 1842) is credited as being the first Western example of the modern prose poem. Constructed almost like a hall of mirrors, Bertrand used the character of Gaspard to render these vignettes. Written in the early 19th century, but mimicking life two, three and even four centuries before, the modern reader is presented with what a mirror does best: presenting both 'sides' of an image - ugliness and beauty. This edition tries to follow Bertrand's initial instructions on how he wanted his manuscript to appear: full of images everywhere. Period artwork is included and the text follows Bertrand's original manuscript"--