More books!

[caddyman]

I can now add to my reading list two Alexandre Dumas books I've never encountered in English translation before: The Women's War available in Penguin Classics, is set in the opening years of the reign of Louis XIV and centres on two women, supporters of Anne of Austria and the Condé respectively. I had never realised just how much Dumas likes his naive Gascon soldiers before, either; there another (hopefully not d'Artagnan) in this book, who fancies both women.

This is the first new English translation for 150 years apparently, which will account for why I've never seen it before.

The second book has never been translated into English before it seems, and is called One Thousand and One Ghosts and sees Dumas dealing with vampire victims, a man who is over 275 years old and a man who was bitten by the head of his guillotined wife.

Sounds a hoot.

Comments

[november-girl.livejournal.com]

I'm a big Dumas fan and have never come across either of those - are they being widely published?

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

I think they are, yes. Certainly The Women's War has been published by Penguin Classics and seemed to be in good supply, in the Gower Street Waterstones, anyway. One Thousand and One Ghosts has been published by Hesperus, who I am not familiar with, but there multiple copies available.

It was good to see the entire five book run of the Musketeers sequence in print again; I had immense trouble getting those in the late 80s, early 90s. Queen Margot seems to be back in print for the first time in years, too. I had to buy a copy of that in the US some time back as it hasn't been available over here for years.

[november-girl.livejournal.com]

Excellent.

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

It seems to be available on Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Womens-War-Penguin-Classics/dp/0140449779/ref=sr_1_1/103-3624643-9257418?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1183417854&sr=8-1

[corvidophile.livejournal.com]

bibliovixen pointed me this way.... the second one sounds good (One Thousand and One Ghosts). though i'm not usually a fan of short stories - it seems to be a collection of ghost stories told by various characters - the subject matter seems appropriately bizarre for my reading tastes ;D (sold on Chapters and Amazon which is nice!)

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

What Ho!

I haven't really looked at it properly yet. I am trying to hold off until I have read some of the more venerable books in my unread pile.

But it calls to me...

[november-girl.livejournal.com]

I have a 1920s copy of Marguerite de Valois (aka Queen Margot) that I'm reading at the moment. It's a bit battered, but I always like books to look like they've been read properly.