The Island, Wistanslow and Far Forest In Three Volumes

London: William Heinemann Ltd, 1941 - 1956. First edition. Cloth. Very Good/Good. 8" by 5"; 7.5" by 5". None. A collection of first editions by Francis Brett Young. The set consists of: 'Wistanslow', 'The Island' and 'Far Forest'. Francis Brett Young (29 June 1884 – 28 March 1954) was an English novelist, poet, playwright, and composer. The central project of Brett Young's career was a series of linked novels set in a loosely fictionalised version of the English West Midlands and Welsh Borders. The Mercian novels were originally inspired by the construction of Birmingham Corporation's Elan Valley Reservoirs from 1893–1904, and the country traversed by their associated aqueduct. 'The Black Diamond' (1921) tells the story of a labourer working on the aqueduct in the region around Knighton, while 'The House Under the Water' (1932) deals at length with the construction of the reservoirs themselves. The series expanded into a wide-ranging study of Midlands society from the 1890s through to the outbreak of the Second World War. Although linked by recurring characters, each of the Mercian novels can be read as an independent work. They range in style from the atmospheric psychological horror of 'Cold Harbour' (1924; praised by H. P. Lovecraft) to the romantic family saga of 'Portrait of Clare' (1927), which won that year's James Tait Black Memorial Prize. In navy blue cloth bindings in one clipped and two unclipped dustwrappers. Externally, generally smart. Lightly rubbed in places. Dustwrappers are sound with slight rubbing. There are some chips and closed tears to the extremities. There are ink inscriptions to the recto of front free end papers in 'Wistanslow' and 'The Island'. Internally, generally firmly bound. Pages are generally bright and clean.There are also some tape marks to the front and rear end-papers in 'The Island'. Very Good