MALDEN, Richard Henry. Nine Ghosts. London: Edward Arnold. 1943. 8vo. First edition. Publisher’s green cloth lettered in black to the spine and upper board, in the striking first state dust jacket designed by Rowland Hilder. An about very good copy, the cloth clean and bright, just a trifle bumped at corners and spine tips. The binding tight and perhaps a trifle rolled, the contents, printed on war economy paper, clean and fine throughout without stamps or inscriptions. The dust jacket unclipped (6/- net), small loss to foot of spine, the joints here nicked, rubbed and quite tender with some closed tears. A few smaller nicks and light rubbing, though seldom found otherwise given the fragile nature of the wrapper.
Published as a homage to and in many ways a continuation of the praised works of M. R. James. Malden was a close friend of James, and had the good fortune of listening in on James’ now cultish Christmas Eve ghost story readings given to close friends. Like many haunted characters from James’ stories, and indeed not dissimilar to James himself, Malden was Eton-educated, an antiquarian scholar and the Dean of Wells. With nods to Sheridan Le Fanu—whom James called ‘The Master’—the stories here follow James’ own preoccupations—the antiquated scholar, ancient buildings, the blurring of fact and fiction—in search for ‘the perfect ghost story’. Contemporary reviews were somewhat indifferent about the stories—as with most of the Jamesians’ works—but Malden in particular has received considerable praise in more recent years. Scarce.
MALDEN, Richard Henry. Nine Ghosts. London: Edward Arnold. 1943. 8vo. First edition. Publisher’s green cloth lettered in black to the spine and upper board, in the striking first state dust jacket designed by Rowland Hilder. An about very good copy, the cloth clean and bright, just a trifle bumped at corners and spine tips. The binding tight and perhaps a trifle rolled, the contents, printed on war economy paper, clean and fine throughout without stamps or inscriptions. The dust jacket unclipped (6/- net), small loss to foot of spine, the joints here nicked, rubbed and quite tender with some closed tears. A few smaller nicks and light rubbing, though seldom found otherwise given the fragile nature of the wrapper.
Published as a homage to and in many ways a continuation of the praised works of M. R. James. Malden was a close friend of James, and had the good fortune of listening in on James’ now cultish Christmas Eve ghost story readings given to close friends. Like many haunted characters from James’ stories, and indeed not dissimilar to James himself, Malden was Eton-educated, an antiquarian scholar and the Dean of Wells. With nods to Sheridan Le Fanu—whom James called ‘The Master’—the stories here follow James’ own preoccupations—the antiquated scholar, ancient buildings, the blurring of fact and fiction—in search for ‘the perfect ghost story’. Contemporary reviews were somewhat indifferent about the stories—as with most of the Jamesians’ works—but Malden in particular has received considerable praise in more recent years. Scarce.
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