Antiquarian Auctions

Auction #114 begins on 11 Apr 2024

Ivy COMPTON-BURNETT (1884-1969)

[Eight works, all first editions].

Published: Various, London, 1923-1963

Edition: various

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Ivy COMPTON-BURNETT (1884-1969)

[Eight works, all first editions]. London: 1925-1963. Octavo. 7 with dust-jackets. Condition: see images.

A representative selection in acceptable condition overall, titles include:

Pastors and Masters. 1925. Original cloth, no dust-jacket.

Two Wheels and their Ways. 1949. Original cloth, clipped dust-jacket.

Darkness & Day. 1951. Original cloth, dust-jacket

The Present and the Past. 1953. Original boards, clipped dust-jacket

Mother and Son. 1955. , Original boards, dust-jacket. James Tait Black Memorial Prize winner.

A Father and his Fate. 1957. Original boards, clipped dust-jacket.

The Mighty and their Fall. 1961. Original boards, clipped dust-jacket

A God and his Gifts. 1963. Original boards, clipped dust-jacket.

Apart from Dolores (1911), a traditional novel she later rejected as something "one wrote as a girl", Compton-Burnett's fiction deals with domestic situations in large households which, to all intents and purposes, invariably see, Edwardian. The description of human weaknesses and foibles of all sorts pervades her work, and the family that emerges from each of her novels must be seen as dysfunctional in one way or another, with parents struggling with children, or sibling rivalries producing malicious, if covert, power struggles.

Starting with Pastors and Masters (1925), Compton-Burnett developed a highly individualistic style. Her fiction relies heavily on formal dialogue (in strong contrast to the often melodramatic plots), and demands constant attention on the reader's part: there are instances in her work where important information is casually mentioned in a half sentence, and her use of punctuation is deliberately perfunctory. The result is to create a deliberately claustrophobic fictional world, dominated by the psychological exploration of small-scale power-abuse and persecution.

In the United States and United Kingdom in the 2000s, there has been a resurgence of interest in Compton-Burnett's novels.’ (wikipedia).

  • Jacket Condition: See images
  • Binding Condition: See images
  • Overall Condition: see images
  • Size: various
  • Sold By: Shadowrock Rare Books
  • Contact Person: Adam Langlands
  • Country: United States
  • Email: [email protected]
  • Telephone: 001-860-248-1547
  • Preferred Payment Methods: Paypal, US$ checks and wire transfers, major credit cards through paypal
  • Trade Associations: AA Approved


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