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London : Jarrolds (Publishers) London, [1940]. First British paperback edition. “The revealing portrait of a bad woman” – the official state guide to Louisiana called it “a story of the restricted district of New Orleans”. Originally published in the USA in 1930 and in London in 1931. Beth Brown, or Mrs John Barry as she was known in society, also wrote “Applause”, “Lady Hobo”, “Riverside Drive”, “Universal Station”, etc.
Crown 8vo (19cm). 192pp. Original wrappers with an attached pictorial jacket – red-headed Lily Love as conceived by Merlin; jacket just a touch worn and a little dusty and soiled; mild spotting of edges; some light tanning, but overall a very good copy. No copy of this edition traced in any major UK library.

SOLD

London : Jarrolds (Publishers) London, [ca.1941]. First published in 1939 and here in a very early paperback edition advertising that the book had already reached its 164th thousand copies. George Orwell’s famous “Raffles and Miss Blandish” essay appeared in “Horizon” in 1944 and propelled the book to an even greater level of notoriety, while the 1948 film, although only passed for screening after extensive cuts, caused national outcry, subsequently leading to an apology from the head of the British Board of Film Classification for having failed to protect the public. “Once or twice in a generation someone writes a book that establishes a new standard in literature; a book that starts a new trend of fashion; a book that everyone knows and talks about and which several million people read. And one which certainly must be included in that class is the world-famous ‘No Orchids for Miss Blandish’” (Sunday Dispatch).
Crown 8vo (18cm). 192pp. Original pictorial wrappers over thin card – a design by Merlin; chipped at foot of spine, with the loss of a few letters; lacks inner front flap of the wrappers; some minor marks, nicks and creases, with a short tear to the upper wrapper, but a good and sound copy. There would not appear to be any copy of this edition in any major library worldwide.

£40

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London : John Long, [1940]. First British paperback edition. Originally published in the USA in 1931 and in London in 1932. Filmed in 1932 by James Whale as “The Impatient Maiden”, with Lew Ayres, Mae Clarke, Una Merkel, etc.
Crown 8vo (19cm). 192pp. Original wrappers, with attached pictorial jacket – a design by Merlin; jacket lightly rubbed and slightly marked; occasional minor spotting and browning, but overall a very good copy. No copy of this edition traced in the major UK libraries.

SOLD

London : Selwyn & Blount, [ca.1940]. A reissue in paperback of a popular success first published by Selwyn & Blount in 1925. A poignant and sometimes cynical saga stretching either side of the Great War – “sometimes daring, but never offensive”.
Crown 8vo (19cm). 192pp. Original wrappers, with an attached pictorial jacket in a design by Merlin; jacket a little dusty and with some minor wear; mild spotting of edges, but otherwise a very good copy. No copy of this edition traced in the major UK libraries.

SOLD