The Man Who was Born Again
The John Day Co., 1927. Item #86149
First American edition. Good condition. No dust jacket. Owner signature (in pencil).
The Man Who Was Born Again is a 1921 Austrian occult fantasy novel by Paul Busson. It was originally published in German as *Die Wiedergeburt des Melchior Dronte* and first appeared in English in 1927 in a translation by Prince Mirski and Thomas Moult. ([Wikipedia][1])
The novel is a blend of historical adventure, Gothic horror, mysticism, and reincarnation. It follows the memories of the 18th-century nobleman **Baron Melchior von Dronte**, whose soul is reborn in another man's body. Through this framework, the story moves back and forth between the narrator's present and Melchior's past, creating a tale that spans the years before, during, and after the French Revolution. ([Wikipedia][1])
Major themes include:
* **Reincarnation and memory** – exploring whether a soul can retain knowledge and identity across lifetimes.
* **The occult** – featuring ghosts, demons, alchemy, secret societies, and magical practices.
* **The struggle between good and evil** – with supernatural forces competing for Melchior's soul.
* **Spiritual transformation** – combining Christian, Hermetic, and Eastern mystical ideas into a quest for immortality and enlightenment. ([Goodreads][2])
Stylistically, the book is unusual. Rather than following a tightly structured plot, it unfolds as a sequence of vivid adventures, visions, and supernatural encounters. Modern readers often compare it to the works of writers like E. T. A. Hoffmann and Gustav Meyrink because of its dreamlike atmosphere and fascination with esoteric subjects. ([Goodreads][2])
### Reception
When the English translation appeared in 1927, reviews were mixed:
* *Time* magazine praised it as "graphic and brilliant," highlighting its energetic imagination and supernatural elements.
* *The New York Times* admired its originality but criticized it as sprawling and uneven. ([Wikipedia][1])
Today, the novel has become something of a cult classic among readers interested in early fantasy, supernatural fiction, and occult literature. Although Paul Busson is little known today, *The Man Who Was Born Again* is generally regarded as his best-known work in English and is sometimes reprinted alongside Meyrink's *The Golem* in collections of classic German-language supernatural fiction. ([Goodreads][3]).
Price: $150.00