Methuen & Co., Ltd. (London, UK)
Series dates: 1950-1960
Size: 5″ x 7.5″
A modest series of post-WW2 reprints issued by Methuen between 1950 and 1960, the Famous Novels series reached at least 57 titles (as listed on the 1960 title, below). The series had a significant number of titles from a limited number of musty old post-WW2 Methuen authors, with Arnold Bennett accounting for 8 titles, Pearl Buck for 14, Joseph Conrad for 4, and W.W. Jacobs for 18 titles.
The book below, Bennett’s The Card, has a 1960 date on it, late in the series span of dates. The jackets are common to the series, a simple layout with minimal design. Colors varied on the jackets. The jacket spine and cover do not indicate the series name. The series name is included on the front jacket flap, with a partial listing of series titles. The front flap of the dust jacket is the only place the series name is mentioned (on the jacket and on or in the book).
The list of series titles continues on the back jacket flap. A brief summary of the book is included on the back of the jacket.
The series has reasonable quality cloth bindings in red with gold decorations and typography:
The basic half-title page:
A list of “Works by Arnold Bennett” faces the title page:
The copyright page indicates the date of 1960 and this title with 38 reprints since the initial publication in 1911. Thus this is the 39th.
