Fiction

Letters writ by a Turkish Spy, Who Liv’d Five and Forty Years Undiscovered at Paris; Giving an Impartial Account to the Divan of Constantinople of the Most Remarkable Transactions in Europe – Complete in Eight Volumes. Giovanni Paolo Marana – 1748

A very nice set of this almost legendary work, complete and unusually in their original bindings. Fictional letters claiming to have been written by an Ottoman spy named “Mahmut the Arabian” embedded in the French Court of Louis XIV.

Published in London by Wilde, Ballard and others in 1748. Eight volumes (Over 600 letters in all), duodecimo, engraved frontispiece to Vol I, full contemporary calf, spines gilt, some joints a bit cracked but holding. A twelfth edition of a great publishing success of the 18thC which would go on for a further fifty years.

Contemporary bookplate of Robert Midgley dated 1748 so the first owner. And the modern book label of Edward John Kenny the Latinist of Peterhouse College, Cambridge University, visiting at Harvard etc.

A journal of gossip and anecdotes on politics and events and shenanigans going on in France at the time.

Written in Italian by Giovanni Paola Marana (1642-1693) a Genoese refugee in the Court of the said Louis XIV. He completed the first volume of 102 letters, and had it translated to French and published in Paris in 1684-1686. Other volumes were published as they were completed over time. English translations by William Bradshaw became available in 1687. Later volumes issued first in English in London leading some to believe they were not by Marana. However, the consistency in style and use of words really points to Marana as being the author of the full set, not doubt with the help of translators and editors of the day.

Well liked by Daniel Defoe who wrote an aptly named “Continuation of Turkish Letters Writ by a Turkish Spy in Paris” … a sort of 18thC sequel.

Incidentally, the last owner Professor Kenny used to gauge his candidates by seeing how nice they were to his cat Fufu … it became known as the Fufu test … that’s Latin for you.

The Turkish Spy – A Classic By Marana

$840.00

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An Egyptian Journal – William Golding

A first US edition by Nobel Prize winning William Golding, published by Faber and Faber in 1985.

Golding’s first novel “Lord of the Flies” a Voyager favourite … strange because originally rejected by Faber and, despite his first, surely significantly .behind his Nobel award … which arrived in 1983 just before the publication of this adventure in Egypt. Aussies will know his Rites of Passage and the other parts of what was a superb trilogy … made into a classic screenplay with Benedict Cumberbatch as the protagonist.

An unusual and interesting book, a no nonsense account … Golding only needed to please one person … himself. So we quite like his honest views of everything Egyptian on the tour … not done in grand style but in the fashion of any honest adventurer.

Larger octavo, 207 pages, illustrated with interesting titling .. a very good copy.

A very different Egypt travel account by the talented irascible sarcastic observant Golding

$20.00

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Cocktail Time – P.G. Wodehouse – First Edition 1958

First Edition 1958 of a sought-after Wodehouse.

Published by Herbert Jenkins, London. Octavo, 222 pages. In the preferred slightly chipped dust jacket all in pretty good condition, albeit some spots to page edges.

Frederick, Fifth Earl of Ickenham has a lot of things on his plate but he gets them (everybody) sorted with much hilarity.

Sought after Wodehouse – First Edition

$60.00

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Ungava: A Tale of Esquimax-Land – Robert M. Ballantyne

One of the most prolific writers of adventure for the young Scottish born Robert Michael Ballantyne (1825-1894) went to Canada at the age of 16. There he worked for six years for the Hudson Bay Company. In his autobiography he said that writing long letters to his mother on the goings on of the fur traders was the stimulus behind his first books.

His first was “The Hudson Bay Company” and then “The Young Fur Traders” … this book was his fourth. He went on to pen over 100 books to the delight of his adventure seeking followers.

An early 20th century edition published by Nelson, London. Octavo, 509 pages, blue cloth covered boards with sailing ship design and design to spine, coloured frontispiece. A very good copy indeed.

A party of explorers head into Eskimo territory to establish a fur trading post at Ungava Bay. Situated in the Nunavik region of Quebec.

Ballantyne in one of those “live there did that” adventures.

$60.00

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Doctor in Love – Richard Gordan – First Edition 1957

Anyone who likes Wodehouse will love Richard Gordan and his series of “Doctor” books.

A first edition, published by Michael Joseph, London in 1957 edition, the fifth in the “Doctor” series.

Octavo, 188 pages, in very good condition.

“You can’t go about the country falling in love with girls at your age” … sage advice Grimsdyke gives to his friend Dr Gordon. Another “advisor” observes “the patients don’t like you messing about with their wives unless they know you’ve got one of your own at home”. Taking all this on board matters get complicated and … Dr Gordan finally gets his girl!

The right girls does turn up for Dr Gordan …

$30.00

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The Day of Fire [Suggested by the Life of Arthur Rimbaud] – James Ullman – First Edition 1959

First Edition published by Collins, London in 1959. Octavo, 638 pages. A little sign of age, dust jacket chipped at head, still a very good copy of a special book.

The author had been working on this book for a number of years and provides a nice foreword about Rimbaud, He thanks New Directions for quotes from their “A Season in Hell”, possibly Voyager’s favourite book.

No wonder the author invested so much time, Arthur Rimbaud was an extraordinary individual and apart from his poetry and writing led an extraordinary life, not always on the right side of the law.

Based on the life of Arthur Rimbaud and a colourful life that was.

$30.00

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Letters writ by a Turkish Spy, Who Liv’d Five and Forty Years Undiscovered at Paris; Giving an Impartial Account to the Divan of Constantinople of the Most Remarkable Transactions in Europe – Complete in Eight Volumes. Giovanni Paolo Marana – 1748

An Egyptian Journal – William Golding

Cocktail Time – P.G. Wodehouse – First Edition 1958

Ungava: A Tale of Esquimax-Land – Robert M. Ballantyne

Doctor in Love – Richard Gordan – First Edition 1957

The Day of Fire [Suggested by the Life of Arthur Rimbaud] – James Ullman – First Edition 1959

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