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Campbell, Gilbert. Prince Goldenblade: A Rational Fairy Tale for Big and Little Folks. London, New York, and Melbourne: Ward, Lock and Co., 1889. First edition. Octavo, pp. [i-viii] [1] 2-159 [160: decorative device] [161-184: publishers ads] [note: the "12" at base of first page of ads may indicate the month of printing, which, according to Topp (see below) was December]. Original dark blue cloth, front and spine panels stamped in black, red, green, light green and light blue, publisher ads on endpapers. Illustrated with line drawings for each chapter, plus a frontispiece, by R. André. The first blank page has a contemporary gift inscription. A generally good copy of this uncommon book, the bottom corner of the front board diagonally creased but holding firm, small damp stain to upper corner of same, rubbing to spine ends, but with a tight square binding and clean interior. #151. $100. A charming novella that gently mocks the tone of the fairy tale genre while adhering to its structural principles. Campbell's main comic device is the deliberate anachronism, introducing mundane details of contemporary British life into the framework of a generically medieval fairy tale. The main fantastic device here is the periodic theriomorphy of its three heroes -- as the result of a curse. The story is, for the most part, genuinely amusing in a casual, unforced manner, even as it hits the necessary notes of the fairy tale genre. It also adds a few moments of shadowy alarm. During their periods of enchantment, not only do the aristocratic heroes change form, but they also lose all of their possessions and habitations. Campbell wrote popular fiction in several genres, including mystery, adventure and supernatural thrillers. In the latter field he is best remembered now for the three-volume Wild and Weird, Tales of Imagination and Mystery, Russian, English and Italian (issued also by Ward, Lock in the same year as the present volume). He also made the first English translations of Emile Gaboriau, 'thus introducing the modern detective novel to England' (Bleiler, Guide to Supernatural Fiction, p. 101). All of his work, which appeared mostly in a burst of a few productive years around 1890, is now uncommon and is unrepresented in the collections of Sadleir, Wolff and Locke. Topp (Victorian Yellowbacks and Paperbacks, vol. II, p. 328) notes a later undated edition of this present title.
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