The Chinese Parrot by Earl Derr Biggers (Readers Library, [1928])

 

The Chinese Parrot

Earl Derr Biggers
London: The Readers Library Publishing Company Ltd, [1928]*

The Readers Library published affordable editions of popular fiction in the period 1924-35, cheaply produced but very attractive with their wrap-round dustwrapper artwork.

Film tie-in for the UK release of the 1927 Universal Pictures silent. Directed by Paul Leni and starring Marian Nixon, Florence Turner, Hobart Bosworth and with Sōjin Kamiyama as Charlie Chan.

The second title in the Charlie Chan series of detective stories written by Earl Derr Biggers (1884-1933) and first published in the United States by Bobbs-Merrill (1926), the first UK edition being published by George G. Harrap (1927)*.

Hardback in dustwrapper. pp 252, [1] publisher’s advert. Size: 6.75 x 4.25 inches approx. (169mm x 105mm).

Dustwrapper rubbed and worn to extremities, especially spine ends and corner tips; occasional short edge tear; spotted, dusty and discoloured to flaps and folds; foxing visible to spine; somewhat foxed to verso. Covers a little shelf worn to extremities, especially head of spine; gilt dulled to spine. Endpapers foxed and yellowed; pages age-toned but generally clean thoughout; spotted and dusty to edges of page-block; two pages cockled to edges where the publisher has replaced with new (and presumably corrected) pages; some page creasing and a few uncut edges but overall page-block very tight and probably unread.

Overall, showing the usual age related wear but otherwise remaining a particularly well preserved copy – attractive.

£65.00

*ref. British Library

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