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Post by Calenture on Feb 16, 2008 10:56:37 GMT
Cover oil painting by Caeria Israel First published 1921; this Tabb House reprint 1985 In the introduction by Francis King, "The 'haunting' of the title becomes not merely the haunting of Corlyon by the brother whom he has killed, but also the haunting of a modern Cornwall of holiday bungalows, caravan parks and luxury hotels by the ghost of its far more secluded, individual and 'foreign' past." This one looks interesting, though after correcting my mistake on yesterday's Latest Finds thread (it's not just the haunting of some modern holiday bungalows, as I wrote there) it looks more like psychogical thriller than tale of the paranormal. The address of Tabb House is Padstow, but it doesn't publish solely "local interest" books. From the back cover: In the little port of Stowe, Gale Corlyon's profession gave him influence and respect, while the secret wealth that his brother brought back from sea provided security for their old age. “This time Pascoe, in his letter home, had said emeralds”; but when he returned he wanted the hoard – all of 'it — for himself. Gale's comfortable life was compromised by his brother's treachery and his own violent response. The story reveals whether anything could be salvaged from the resulting wreck of the women in their lives, besides themselves. Mrs. Dawson Scott’s novel of paranormal suspense makes compelling reading; its setting provides an evocation of a small Cornish town in times that have now gone, while her psychological insight underlines the perennial nature of human character and emotion. Cathering Anne Dawson was born in 1865 in Dulwich, where she was brought up. After a rebellious Victorian childhood she began her literary career in 1892 with the publication by William Heinemann of a book of poetry, to be followed by a number of novels. In 1896 she married Dr H F N Scott and they lived with their three children for some years on the Isle of Wight, before returning to London. Mrs Dawson Scott had known Cornwall since childhood; its rediscovery inspired seven books, written between 1918 and 1933. In the latter years of her life, she concentrated her energies on her friends, writing, and projects such as the P.E.N Club, which she founded in 1921. She died in 1934. Francis King was born in Switzerland in 1923 and spent his childhood in India. He published three novels while still an undergraduate at Balliol College, Oxford. Subsequently he worked on the British Council for twelve years abroad, before resigning in 1964 to devote himself entirely to writing. He reviews both books and plays for the Sunday Telegraph and novels for the Spectator. He is President of the English P.E.N.
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