The Passionate Clowns. The Story of a Modern Witch.
London: Duckworth, 1927. First Edition. Hardcover. Octavo. 192pp. Blue-grey cloth with black titling etc. to spine. An about VG copy (lacks dust jacket). A genuinely rare humorous novel in which an English society lady employs a local witch to work a spell on her house guests. The witch has many of the classic attributes, she flys on a broomstick, has the ability to change her form, is not ungenerous in bestowing curses, and utters the Lord's Prayer backwards, etc. The author behind the pseudonym Holt Marvell, was Albert Eric Maschwitz (1901 – 1969), an actor, screenwriter, lyricist, producer and broadcaster whose career highlights included writing the famous wartime song "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" and the screenplay for the film "Goodbye Mr. Chips". Slight bruise to cloth at head of spine, boards a littel rubbed at points, edges of text block a little darkened and flecked, endpapers unevenly toned. Still overall a tight, clean, VG+ copy in a VG example of the pictorial dust jacket (Spine darkened, panels and flecked and darkened, various small chips around the edges). Extremely uncommon, especially in dust jacket. Item #71084
Price: $200.00