The Fifth Form at St. Dominic's

First published in 1887, this is a new edition of 1971. Some edge wear and chipping to top and bottom of largely pink jacket and spine, corners slightly rubbed and bruised, spine faded, some slight yellowing to back jacket, some spotting and browning to page fore edges. Not price clipped (£1.80), child's name and some scribble to front pastedown and ffep, internally clean tight and square, overall a reasonable copy for its age. 310pp. Talbot Baines Reed (1852-93), was an English writer of boys' fiction who established a genre of school stories that endured into the 20th century. Among his best-known work is 'The Fifth Form at St. Dominic's'. The plot revolves around the misdemeanors of a senior schoolboy named Loman, under the influence of a manipulative and dissolute innkeeper. Loman's young protege (his fag, a junior boy who acts as the unpaid servant of a senior) is also endangered by association with the innkeeper, but is eventually rescued by his older brother. This brother is falsely suspected of having cheated in a major examination and is ostracised by his fellow schoolmates. The plot is resolved by the vindication of the good and the forgiveness of those who have fallen into error. It became a classic of children's literature between the wars, and was made into a film.…