Corrected typescript of the novella "The Delicate Nature"

BATES, H.E.

Published by 68 pages n.p., n.d

About this Item

Original typescript of one of the three short novels comprising Bates's first such collection The Nature of Love, published by Michael Joseph in 1953 (and in the USA by Little, Brown the following year), being the story of a young man who travels into the Malaysian jungle to assist a plantation owner and has an affair with the latter's wife. An interim (near-final) draft with corrections to 44 pages, ranging from excisions of whole paragraphs to the insertion of complete sentences. E.g. the addition of the lines: " . . .`Not lonely, are you?' Captain Custance winked heavily. `Ought to look out for a nice little Chinese woman. Pretty as little bantams. Stick to you like burrs off a hedgerow.' Simpson, suddenly more lonely than ever, could not speak." (which is made yet more egregious to modern sensibilities by the substitution of the word `skirt' for `woman' in the published version). Stapled into plain brown paper wrappers with blue tape along spine, with "Ethel Christian Limited" typewriting services blindstamp and typed label with author's note "Corrected copy" to upper panel (which has a short, closed tear to upper margin, else in excellent condition). Seller Inventory # 20700

Bibliographic Details

Title: Corrected typescript of the novella "The ...

Publisher: 68 pages n.p., n.d

Binding: Soft cover