Jarrold Publishing (London, UK)
Series dates: 1919-1935
Size: 4.5″ x 7″
Jarrold Publishing (formerly known as Jarrolds) shares a history with the Jarrold Department Store chain in Norwich, England.
Jarrolds published an array of popular fiction and non-fiction, children’s books, city guides, etc. Like many publishers in the early 20th century, Jarrolds had several reprint series named after the price of the books. Titles in their 2/- Novels series included popular fiction, romances, mystery, horror and science fiction. Few titles are remembered today. Jarrolds also sold books in the 3/6 Novels series, Beacon Library, Jay Library, and Miniature Classics.
Bohun Lynch’s Menace from the Moon remains of some interest as an H.G. Wells-inspired “scientific romance.” Jarrolds published the book in 1925. This reprint edition in the 2/- Novels series is undated, but probably 1926 given advertisements in 1926 listing other newly published titles in the series listed on the jacket. Lynch was from Devon in the UK, a boxer, journalist, artist, and author. Menace from the Moon was his only science fiction novel.
The jackets for Jarrolds’ 2/- net novels are unique to each title, is as typical with popular fiction series in the 1920s. This jacket is rather distinctive and possibly uses the artwork of the original Jarrolds edition. The front of the jacket includes a favorable quote from a review. An illustration of a burning building is on the base of the jacket spine, carrying over from the theme of menace on the jacket front. This suggests that the jacket spine was a viewed as vital for marketing purposes. The price is indicated on the jacket spine. The front jacket flap contains a blurb for the book, evoking Wells.
New titles in the series (advertised in 1926) fill the rear of the (damaged) jacket, and other titles the rear flap.
The bindings are very cheap and the book is poorly bound (and falling apart). The publisher is indicated on the spine. There is no indication in the book that it is part of a series.
As with a few other cheap reprint series, the half-title is printed on the front right endpaper.
Additional titles by Lunch are listed on the reverse of the half-title page.
A menacing moon message (the only illustration in the book) faces the title page. While the Jarrolds Department Store was in Norwich, its publishing headquarters was London.
There is no date on the copyright page. Printer information is indicated.
The rear of the book includes thirteen forthcoming novels in the same 2/- Novels series. Some of these titles were originally published by Jarrolds, and some by other publishers.
The second page of advertisements lists already-published titles. An advertisement for a title in the 3/6 Novels series follows, Susan Glaspell’s Fidelity.
An advertisement, also in the 3/6 Novels series, for
