Tag: famous book

Posted on by

Patrick White First Editions

Currently in store, we have three nice first editions books by esteemed Australian author and Nobel Prize winner (1973), Patrick White.

Starting with The Vivisector, “a novel about a painter, Hurtle Duffield, who exploits human relationships for his art. After the novel was published in 1970, Sidney Nolan believed Duffield was based on him, but White denied this, stating that Duffield was a composite of his own character and the working life of the artists John Passmore and Godfrey Miller.” (Wiki)

Next is The Burnt Ones, a collection of short stories set in Australia and Greece. The Burnt Ones are “haunted by feelings of isolation, intense self-examination, and an acute awareness of how they are different from others.” (Wiki). Stories include:

  • Dead Roses
  • Willy-Wagtails by Moonlight
  • A Glass of Tea
  • Clay
  • The Evening at Sissy Kamara’s
  • A Cheery Soul
  • Being Kind to Titina
  • Miss Slattery and Her Demon Lover
  • The Letters
  • The Woman Who Wasn’t Allowed to Keep Cats
  • Down at the Dump

Lastly, we have a second story collection called The Cockatoos, which dives below the surface to deeper subjects. “Critics have seen in this collection a darkness, a loneliness, less playfulness than his previous pieces. Certainly there is repeated imagery of marriages and relationships driven dry by time or a lack of passion.” This is the first UK edition from 1974.

  • A Woman’s Hand
  • The Full Belly
  • The Night the Prowler
  • Five Twenty
  • Sicilian Vespers
  • The Cockatoos

All three copies are in good condition and highly collectible.

Posted on by

The Magic of Elizabeth Goudge Books

Elizabeth Goudge wrote fiction and children’s books throughout the 1900s and still has an ardent fan base. Currently, in the store we have hardcover (no dust jacket’s) copies of Island Magic, The Heart of the Family (#3 Eliot books) and The City of Bells (#1 Torminster books).

The Elizabeth Goudge Society has penned a lovely biography that paints a picture of a different time and is a window into the writer’s life and how her upbringing impacted her work.

“Goudge’s books are notably Christian in outlook, covering sacrifice, conversion, discipline, healing, and growth through suffering. Her novels, whether realistic, fantasy or historical, weave in legend and myth and reflect a spirituality and love of England that generate its appeal, whether she wrote for adults or for children.” (Wiki)

I’m about to start with Island Magic, so I’ll get back to you on how I find it. In the mean time, if you’re a fan, I have some nice bargains for you to browse.

Posted on by

The Secret Garden is in store!

It’s always a joy when a book comes into store that is a personal favourite. When I was a about eight years old, my darling sister read this entire book to me one summer holiday. She even assumed the Yorkshire accents to make it seem more entertaining. I still remember sitting in dad’s green armchair, one leg looped over the torn arm, rocking gently with my eyes closed, while she read chapter after chapter.

As I got older, I read and re-read this wonderful story of young people prevailing against odds and finding a place to belong, and the restorative power of nature. So when the book came into the shop last week, I revisited the story, and marvelled how Frances Hodgson Burnett had penned this in the very early 1900’s. Though there are now passages that are uncomfortable to read because they speak to racist and sexist beliefs of the time, and academics have dug deep into the problematic thematic elements of masculinty, femininity and the role of disability – the sweetness of the story still prevails, and it remains Top 100 as voted by Teachers. This 1956 edition is without a dust jacket, but it has some beautiful internal sketch illustrations.

The Secret Garden
Posted on by

Our Best Tips for Buying at Secondhand Book Fairs

This weekend is the bi-annual Lifeline BookFest in Brisbane. It’s an event that I really look forward to. And even though I’m not a seasoned book hunter, I thought I’d share with you what I’ve learned the last few years from watching the dealers.

First in best dressed – There is no subsitute for arriving early and getting first pick. The Dealers rush in and just swoop up arm fulls of books, without spending too long deciding on them. I imagine this is partly because their experienced eyes can make snap decisions, but I think they must cull them later. They literally run between tables and fill their trolleys (and cars) up to the brim with booty.

Have a Focus – Go in with a plan of the kind of books you are looking for – publishing date range, fiction or non fiction, hardcover or paperback, dust jacket or no dust jacket. Know your limit on condition.

The Collector’s Section – There is always a section behind a counter where BookFest display books they think are collectible. Sometimes, these can be badly overpriced but their policy is that they will match a lower price from another bookstore, if you can show them evidence of it. Last year, I picked up a couple of Raymond Chandler books and was able to get a first edition reduced from the ticket price.

Bring a carry bag on wheels – BookFest have shopping trolleys you can use, but I prefer to take a cabin bag with wheels. It has a limited capacity which ensures I can get it home. P.S. Park your car close too!

Wear comfy shoes – There is a whole lot of standing on concrete floors and nowhere to sit.

Bring snacks – You don’t want to be relying on the Convention Centre eatery!

Avoid ex-library books – Sadly, the library stamps affect their value.

Posted on by

The Best Daphne du Maurier Books for Collectors

It’s curious how some authors and titles stand the test of time, while others lose favour and quickly fade into book history. Occasionally, those that fade may resurrect on the strength of a connection to a movie or some other inter-textual event, then sink again.

But what makes classic literature? Classic is defined as “judged over a period of time to be of the highest quality and outstanding of its kind”. And there is no recipe for what elevates a story to that status.

Collectors of Daphne du Maurier believe that there is a special something about her writing that means it remains fresh and relevant today.  At one stage in the 1950’s she was considered the highest paid woman writer in the UK.

I had a reading period in my twenties that included du Maurier and many other dark romance, gothic writers such as Elizabeth Gaskell, Catherine Gaskin, Victoria Holt/Jean Plaidy, and Sergeanne Golon. It introduced me to a depth in characterisation and the mystery of relationships. I think back on that era with much nostalgia and pleasure – titles such as Mistress of Mellyn, File on Devlin, Angelique, Rebecca and many others.

Currently in the store, we have four collectible and affordable du Maurier editions (and some Gaskin and Golon!):

This first edition of The Flight of the Falcon by Daphne du Maurier was published by Gollancz in 1965.

This first book club edition of The Scapegoat by Daphne du Maurier was published by The Book Club in 1950.
This edition of Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne du Maurier was published by Gollancz in 1944. Eighth impression.
The first UK edition of The Glass Blowers by Daphne du Maurier was published by Gollancz in 1963
Posted on by

Collecting What You Love – my favourite book series

You can probably tell that I like to mainly collect fiction pre-1980. A lot of rare and vintage book collecters prefer non fiction, and make a living from it. But as a novelist, the books I am most attracted to are the books I read or knew about growing up: D H Lawrence, Catherine Gaskin, Angela Brazil, C. S. Lewis and many, many others.

It’s always a thrill to pick up an old novel that has been enjoyed by many people and touched their lives in some way. If you look through the shop’s catalogue, you’ll see a tendency towards collecting certain authors. Some of my favourites are Daphne du Maurier, Georgette Heyer, anything by the Bronte’s, Elyne Mitchell, F Scott Fitzgerald, Louisa Alcott, and Ian Fleming.

Over time, I thought I would show a glimpse into why these authors have a special place in heart, beginning with Elyne Mitchell.

As a teenager, I was horse mad. I was lucky enough to own a few horses and also attend riding school. Never enough to compete, but I did a bit of bush riding. Mitchell’s books about wild brumbies were dramatic, funny, quirky and my first introduction to the romance of the Australian bush. There was also something in the stories that spoke to freedom and closeness to nature. Like very many books they haven’t aged well in terms of the male-female dynamics and role modelling attributed to the horses (also reflecting human behaviour), but that aside, they are still one of my all time favourite series.

We’ve had a couple of Silver Brumby books in the shop and they both sold quite quickly.

Posted on by

The Most Beautiful Alice in Wonderlands

Alice is always a favourite for collectors. Below are some of the editions we’ve had or have. I get some interesting queries about these. Generally they relate to the illustrations. Collectors become quite specific about the artist and the kind of drawings. For instance, they might ask to see a particular edition’s illustration of when Alice’s neck elongates.

Though it’s not necessarily my most beloved book to read, I can’t help but feel drawn towards collecting Alice as well. When one of our edition’s sell, I always have mixed feelings, happy for someone to buy it, but sad to see it go. The edition immediately below is one of my most favourites. The illustrations are particularly magnificent. My other favourite was the edition with Charles Blackman’s illustrations. We had a copy of that in the store last year, but it sold fairly quickly. I collected my first Alice at the age of about ten years old and I still have it.

Posted on by

Jo’s Boys by Louisa May Alcott – what date was this published?

Occasionally, it can be hard to find information about a particular vintage edition of a book. Especially, if the author is popular and there have been many reprints.

In this instance, we were attracted to the very 1940’s cover of this edition of Jo’s Boys, but dating and pricing it has proved to be difficult. It seems to have been produced by Scottish publisher Oliphants Ltd as a Unicorn Classic. Oliphants was bought out by Marshall, Morgan & Scott Ltd in 1945 and liquidated voluntarily and without debts on 27 March 1968.

Oliphants Ltd published mainly religious books, and I have found copies of Little Men and Good Wives online by them, but again, no date. It would be safe to assume the other books in the series came out around the same time, and our best estimation is 1940-60.

We’d love to hear from you if you can cast any further light on the publication date.

Posted on by

The Horse and His Boy by C. S. Lewis

Occasionally in the the vintage book hunting business you come across an absolute gem. This week it was a first edition of The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis. Few people have not had their lives enriched by The Chronicles of Narnia, whether by book or film. The series has been described as:

Fantastic creatures, heroic deeds, epic battles in the war between good and evil, and unforgettable adventures come together in this world where magic meets reality, which has been enchanting readers of all ages for over sixty years. The Chronicles of Narnia has transcended the fantasy genre to become a part of the canon of classic literature.

The Horse and his Boy is book 5 of the series and was published in 1954 by Geoffrey Bles. When read in chronological order, however, it comes third, after The Magician’s Nephew and The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. This first edition is illustrated by Pauline Baynes, who also drew for some of Tolkein’s “minor” works.

“This is the story of an adventure that happened in Narnia and Calormen and the lands between, in the Golden Age when Peter was High King and his brother and his two sisters were King and Queens under him.“―C. S. Lewis

For more photos of this copy go to the product page on this website or to our Etsy store.