A Strange Friendship : A Story of New Zealand

Heavy dampstains to upper part of boards. Narrow splits to gutters at hinges. Some foxing. No signatures or previous owners' markings.; viii, 247, [1 (blank)] pages + 48 pages publisher's advertisments for October, 1873. Brown cloth boards with gilt lettering on spine and front board, gilt and black decoration on spine, gilt decoration and black border on front board. Page dimensions: 168 x 114mm. Early New Zealand novel. "Was it in May or was it in June, I wonder, that we left England" - the opening sentence. "'A Strange Friendship' tells of two sisters, living very circumscribed lives [. . .] The heart of the story is the mystery of the neighbouring Ainslies: are they brother and sister as they claim In fact they are two brothers, one in disguise, and this rascal elopes with the narrator's sister." - Nelson Wattie, in Robinson & Wattie (1998) "The Oxford Companion to New Zealand Literature." [Bibliographical references: c.f. Bagnall 1832 (Bagnall lists only an edition co-published by London: Sampson Low, Marston, Low, & Searle & Dunedin: Reith & Wilkie): "In the progress of literary criticism, Hocken's note, 'A love story, without local colouring', has approriately advanced to Joan Stevens' complete demolition (1961, p.15-16) of this the first of a cycle of light romances."; Burns, "New Zealand Novels and Novelists, 1861-1979", page 7 - "Domestic affairs in the colony."]

Product Info

Publisher: Sampson Low, Marston, Low, & Searle

Year: 1874

Type: Used

Binding: Hardcover

First Edition

Seller Info

RenaissanceBooks

Address: PO Box 335 Dunedin, Not Required

Website: https://renaissancebooks.co.nz

Country: New Zealand