works by obscure or forgotten authors that deserve more recognition or revival
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1booksforreading
I have just finished reading "Frank Sinclair's Wife", a novel by Charlotte Riddell (written and) published in 1874.
It seems that this work has not been reprinted since its original publication. The very first chapter of the novel "hooked" me by author's wit, humor, and sharp observations of people and society. The rest of the work did not disappoint. In fact, it got more and more impressive. The novel turned out -- either by author design or by accident -- a sort of commentary on position of women in English society and on ideas of liberation of woman's rights. The novel has good character development stories, compelling story line, and a sentimental ending.
This is a very strong work, in my opinion.
I wonder why we never hear about Charlotte Riddle and her work. From what I read online, she was most known in her time as a writer of supernatural fiction (I even have some of her stories reprinted by Sarob Press in "The Haunted River and Three Other Ghostly Novellas", but I have not read that book yet); however, most of her work is forgotten.
I think that it deserves to be revived.
Do you know other authors/works that are of high quality but undeservingly forgotten?
It seems that this work has not been reprinted since its original publication. The very first chapter of the novel "hooked" me by author's wit, humor, and sharp observations of people and society. The rest of the work did not disappoint. In fact, it got more and more impressive. The novel turned out -- either by author design or by accident -- a sort of commentary on position of women in English society and on ideas of liberation of woman's rights. The novel has good character development stories, compelling story line, and a sentimental ending.
This is a very strong work, in my opinion.
I wonder why we never hear about Charlotte Riddle and her work. From what I read online, she was most known in her time as a writer of supernatural fiction (I even have some of her stories reprinted by Sarob Press in "The Haunted River and Three Other Ghostly Novellas", but I have not read that book yet); however, most of her work is forgotten.
I think that it deserves to be revived.
Do you know other authors/works that are of high quality but undeservingly forgotten?
2lilithcat
You might enjoy this website: https://neglectedbooks.com/ and this book: Fifty Forgotten Books, by R. B. Russell. My sister gave me the latter for Christmas, and I found myself putting a lot of books on hold at the library.
3booksforreading
>2 lilithcat:
Great resources! Thank you very much! I will definitely check look through the website and also look for the book.
Great resources! Thank you very much! I will definitely check look through the website and also look for the book.
4Glacierman
Ulric Daubeny.
WHO????
Ulric Daubeny, writer of supernatural stories, had one collection published (The Elemental: Tales of the Supernormal and the Inexplicable in 1909) which is currently available as an e-book from Amazon and was reprinted in 2006 by Ash Tree Press. Both the original and the reprint are exceptionally hard to find. Two stories were reprinted by The Last Press (see here), but that little book is a bit pricey, although worth every penny.
Check out that e-book which has the benefit of including a previously uncollected story.
Edited to correctly spell author's name.
WHO????
Ulric Daubeny, writer of supernatural stories, had one collection published (The Elemental: Tales of the Supernormal and the Inexplicable in 1909) which is currently available as an e-book from Amazon and was reprinted in 2006 by Ash Tree Press. Both the original and the reprint are exceptionally hard to find. Two stories were reprinted by The Last Press (see here), but that little book is a bit pricey, although worth every penny.
Check out that e-book which has the benefit of including a previously uncollected story.
Edited to correctly spell author's name.
5booksforreading
>4 Glacierman:
Thank you! I will check out the e-book first, I think, and see if I like the writing.
Edited to add that after checking on Amazon, the e-book is only available for Kindle, which I do not have, or with a free Amazon app, which I do not want to download. :) It looks like I will need to look into hard copy versions.
Edited again to say that a quick search shows several copies of Ulric Daubeny's Ash Tree Press edition available. The key is to spell Ulric without an H at the end. I have just ordered a fine copy for $125.
Thank you! I will check out the e-book first, I think, and see if I like the writing.
Edited to add that after checking on Amazon, the e-book is only available for Kindle, which I do not have, or with a free Amazon app, which I do not want to download. :) It looks like I will need to look into hard copy versions.
Edited again to say that a quick search shows several copies of Ulric Daubeny's Ash Tree Press edition available. The key is to spell Ulric without an H at the end. I have just ordered a fine copy for $125.
7booksforreading
>6 Watry:
Thank you! Though I seriously considered it at some point, I do not have Nook either.
Thank you! Though I seriously considered it at some point, I do not have Nook either.
8Watry
>7 booksforreading: Ah, well--it ultimately doesn't matter, since I had completely confused which post you were replying to!
9filox
>1 booksforreading: I guess it should be Riddell, not Riddle?
10booksforreading
>9 filox:
Yes, thank you!! I have made the correction.
Yes, thank you!! I have made the correction.
11Glacierman
>5 booksforreading: I did mis-spell Daubeny's first name, didn't I? Correction has been made!
And it is interesting to note that two months ago, there were no copies found of that Ash Tree Press edition! It goes to show you that it pays to search frequently....
And it is interesting to note that two months ago, there were no copies found of that Ash Tree Press edition! It goes to show you that it pays to search frequently....
12PatrickMurtha
This topic of rediscoveries is close to my heart. Here’s one.
William Stevens’ The Peddler (1966), which I read on the strength of Vance Bourjaily’s recommendation in the book Rediscoveries II, offers more illuminating detail about business-to-business sales than any other novel I can think of. It was Stevens’ debut, and he followed it with three more novels, the last published in 1973. I don’t know happened with him thereafter. Classic case of the Vanishing Midlist Novelist.
William Stevens’ The Peddler (1966), which I read on the strength of Vance Bourjaily’s recommendation in the book Rediscoveries II, offers more illuminating detail about business-to-business sales than any other novel I can think of. It was Stevens’ debut, and he followed it with three more novels, the last published in 1973. I don’t know happened with him thereafter. Classic case of the Vanishing Midlist Novelist.
13booksforreading
>12 PatrickMurtha:
I have never heard of William Stevens - thank you! I will need to look into his work.
On the subject of vanishing novelists, it is a mystery what happened with Ivor Bannet who wrote an excellent novel, The Amazons, that was published by Golden Cockerel Press in 1948 in a gorgeous first edition with outstanding engraved illustrations by Clifford Webb. The work is based on mythology, and I think that it is an entertaining story, with unusual perspective on well-known Heracles myths, and it is a strong writing. Unfortunately, there are only 500 copies of this edition, and the work has never (to my knowledge) been reprinted.
Bannet published another myth-based novel, The Arrows of the Sun, with the Cresset Press in 1949. It is also a very good work, though in my opinion it got a little weaker and unnecessary long in about 3rd quarter of the book, but it improved again at the end.
The Arrows of the Sun was never reprinted again, and the author seemed to have vanished without a trace. I wonder what happened to him...
I have never heard of William Stevens - thank you! I will need to look into his work.
On the subject of vanishing novelists, it is a mystery what happened with Ivor Bannet who wrote an excellent novel, The Amazons, that was published by Golden Cockerel Press in 1948 in a gorgeous first edition with outstanding engraved illustrations by Clifford Webb. The work is based on mythology, and I think that it is an entertaining story, with unusual perspective on well-known Heracles myths, and it is a strong writing. Unfortunately, there are only 500 copies of this edition, and the work has never (to my knowledge) been reprinted.
Bannet published another myth-based novel, The Arrows of the Sun, with the Cresset Press in 1949. It is also a very good work, though in my opinion it got a little weaker and unnecessary long in about 3rd quarter of the book, but it improved again at the end.
The Arrows of the Sun was never reprinted again, and the author seemed to have vanished without a trace. I wonder what happened to him...
14Transfixed
>13 booksforreading: Ivor Bannet died in August 1949. His age was 37 then, he had to be born either in 1912 or 1911.
15booksforreading
>14 Transfixed:
Wow!! Thank you so much!
I really like his writing, and it is a big loss that he died when his writing career had just started.
At least now we know what happened to him.
And all this ephemera was in your copy of Amazons??
Wow!! Thank you so much!
I really like his writing, and it is a big loss that he died when his writing career had just started.
At least now we know what happened to him.
And all this ephemera was in your copy of Amazons??
16Transfixed
>15 booksforreading: No, it's still on www.ebay.co.uk/itm/176815965836.
I am a lucky buyer of another one, 187441029078.
I am a lucky buyer of another one, 187441029078.
17booksforreading
>16 Transfixed:
Congratulations on your acquisition! It looks like you got a superb custom-bound copy for an amazing price. This was probably an unbound and unnumbered extra copy. It looks great, and the slipcase is a nice addition, too! Congratulations again, and thank you again for the information!
Congratulations on your acquisition! It looks like you got a superb custom-bound copy for an amazing price. This was probably an unbound and unnumbered extra copy. It looks great, and the slipcase is a nice addition, too! Congratulations again, and thank you again for the information!
