A collection of short stories by Eugene Marais, author of Die Siel van die Mier.
A first edition of Die Huis van die Vier Winde can be identified by two issue points, namely
a.) there is no publication date
b.) there are 242 pages.
Additionally, the original pencilled-in price of 5/6 at the top corner of the front endpaper corresponds with the one recorded by Nienaber in his Bibliography of Afrikaans books.
As an early experiment in book publishing, with the goal to increase sales, the publishers asked Marais to sign 2000 copies of this title. As Marais was struggling with morphine addiction at this period he was only able to sign a handful of copies, and this with the aid of Johanna Preller, wife of his journalist friend Gustav Preller. Marais was lodging at the Preller's home in Pretoria and the presence of 2000 copies in Marais' room started to irk Mrs Preller, especially after months went by without him signing a single copy! She took the initiative and sat by him at a table, handing him copy after copy to sign, dipping his pen in ink when required, and ignoring his complaints after only a few minutes had passed that the work is tiresome.
This is not one of the signed copies but it is still a very scarce title to find in the first edition. There is a former owner's rubber stamp on the front endpaper "S. Annecke" which might be that of Dr. Siegfried Annecke who was famous for the extensive research he did on the malaria-carrying mosquito in Tzaneen.
- Binding Condition: Good
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