Wednesday 25 January 2012

Harlequin Authors Part XVI - Thomas Raddall (2)

The second of four Harlequin editions of Thomas H. Raddall novels is The Nymph and the Lamp, his fourth, published by McClelland & Stewart in 1950. This is the first contemporary (1920s) novel after three eighteenth century historicals.

Unlike the first Raddall title from Harlequin, Roger Sudden, there is no notice that the work is abridged. But a comparison with the New Canadian Library edition published in 1963 shows the Harlequin has less pages, less lines per page and less characters per line. The full effect is about 15% less novel.

I haven't read the book but my guess is that the heroine depicted on the Harlequin edition isn't what Raddall had in mind. The book is available from the Halifax publisher Nimbus. 

Harlequin 189 - September 1952

Harlequin 189 back

New Canadian Library N38 - 1963 ("sixth reprint")

New Canadian Library N38 back

2 comments:

  1. Acknowledging that it's been some time since I read the book, if memory serves the Harlequin cover does a disservice to heroine Isabel Jardine. That said, the publisher did get the hair cover right - which can't be said for about Popular Library and their edition.

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  2. Thanks for the hair colour info and connection to the American version. I do still wonder about the Harlequin "bronzed men who lived like monks."

    I tried reading a Raddall novel years ago and couldn't get through it. Just not my type of writing style and story.

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