I must share my little gloat. Lovely book-luck day today!
I was in town fulfilling some rather ho-hum errands, namely picking up plumbing supplies and visiting the dentist, and, with a half hour to kill, I wandered into a little antique store just down from the building supply store. As is my usual habit, I automatically perused the “antique” books used for set dressing in such emporiums, and bingo! -an unexpected bookish jackpot.
Two Rafael Sabatini novels, The Lion’s Skin (1911) and Bardelys the Magnificent (1906). One of Noel Streatfeild’s “adult” novels, Grass in Piccadilly (1947). And – so unexpected and so very perfectly timed, because I’ve just finished reading Helene Hanff’s memoir Q’s Legacy – a handsome 1921 copy of On the Art of Writing, by Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch.
And a fantastic little book from Herbert Jenkins Ltd, published in 1952, The Crossword Companion, by “M.R.W.” This being a book of word lists useful to the crossword aficionado – what a helpful concept. Love it already.
I’ve dipped into the Streatfeild, though I must stiffen my resolve and set it aside in order to finish my current book, Edna Ferber’s okayish-so-far-though-not-stunningly-wonderful Showboat.
Mulling over the possibility of undertaking another Century of Books project – the Sabatini oldies in particular would be perfect candidates for some of those elusive early years.
I’ll keep you posted on that, and I’ll report back on the Piccadilly thing as soon as I finish it. Two chapters in, and the tone is very slightly sordid and more than a little cynical – if you’ve read The Whicharts, you’ll be familiar with the style.
That’s it for now – over and out.
Leaves & Pages 
Well done on the Noel S. Best luck one can get.
My library has the Whicharts–have you reviewed this and is it worth a read?
I haven’t reviewed The Whicharts, though I do believe I might have a draft review tucked away somewhere – I remember struggling with how best to sum it up. Have you read Ballet Shoes? The Whicharts is the adult alter-ego of that juvenile. The set-up and the characters are the same, but the way it all plays out in The Whicharts is much different and rather sordid. It’s a deeply interesting read, if one wishes for a broader familiarity with Noel Streatfeild’s varied body of work. (The beloved tales-for-youth, the almost-throwaway Susan Scarlett romance novels, the darker, definitely-for-adults early works.) So yes, if your library has it, I would say it is worth reading.
Just read and disliked the WHICHARTS.
I completely understand. It’s a rather different sort of thing than Streatfeild’s sometimes deeply improbable but ultimately cheerful juveniles.The Whicharts is just as improbable, with a dark (and dare I say rather dirty) streak of hyper-reality running through it. An interesting read, to see where NS started out, and how her work varied as financial necessity turned her pen towards the lighter novels and children’s stories. She did start out aiming to be a “serious” novelist; her early books were well received in general but never quite broke through into the top rank of realistic fiction of its time. For the record, I didn’t much “like” The Whicharts myself. I found it frequently awkward and somewhat forced in tone. Determinedly smutty?
Well done! I’ve nearly given up on finding any worthwhile books in antique stores, but you’ve encouraged me to keep at it.
Wonderful to see you back. Not that you’d left… Oh, you know what I mean.
Thank you, Brian. I am hoping to be “back” a bit more frequently, though what with life’s little curve balls lately, I’m beginning to think that any future planning is pretty well asking for fate to zap us with unexpected developments! Well, at least it’s never boring. 🙂
Okay, for a moment I thought I read that you were two chapters into Piccadilly Jim, and finding it somewhat sordid. Which had me wondering. I don’t think PGW even knew the meaning of the word. :^)
No, I don’t think he did! But Noel Streatfeild did. Oh, yes, she did indeed. 😉