Marrin's Bookshop

Item Description

Thick 8vo. 8.5 x 5.75 inches. xx + 620 + [2] pp. Bound in original red cloth, gilt, in unclipped pictorial dust wrapper, which is sunned, with staining and small missing pieces to spine, and chips at head and tail. Extremities have a water stain on lower front board and small stains and wear at base of spine. A little foxing of fore edge and traces elsewhere; otherwise a very good copy with clean interior. Illustrated by 22 black and white plates, including frontispiece. An illustrated author and title bibliography of Gothic fiction published 1728-1916. This is an undated 1960s reprint of the first edition variously dated by cataloguers from 1938-41. By Montague Summers (1880-1948), who was ordained a deacon in the Church of England, but converted to Catholicism, although never officially holding office in the church. He pursued a career of teaching and literary scholarship, publishing on occult subjects and witchcraft and editing works of Gothic fiction. The Fortune Press was founded by Reginald Ashley Caton (1897-1971) in 1924, originally specialising in gay erotica before widening its scope and publishing some of the early works of Philip Larkin.