Land of Mist, The

London: Hutchinson & Co. Ltd., , 1926. Another Professor Challenger Story...

DOYLE, Arthur Conan. The Land of Mist. London: Hutchinson & Co. Ltd., [1926].

First English edition. Octavo. [i]-viii, 9-294, [295, advertisement], [1, blank], [-296 ad], [24, Hutchinson catalog for Spring of 1926] pp.

Publisher's dark green cloth, front cover bordered and lettered in light green, spine lettered in light green, white endpapers. Top and bottom of spine, and lower joint worn. A good copy.

This book was originally to be titled The Psychic Adventures of Edward Malone. Doyle wrote to the editor of the Strand Magazine on 23rd October 1924 to tell him about his latest book: "I have for years had a big psychic novel in me which shall deal realistically with every phase of the question, pro and con. I waited, I knew it would come. Now it has come, with a full head of steam, and I can hardly hold onto my pen it goes so fast - about 12 or 15,000 words in three days."

Malone, as an inquiring newspaper man, and [Professor] Challenger as an outside sceptic are two of the main characters but every type will be drawn. I don't think it has ever been done by anyone who had the subject thoroughly at his fingers' ends before."

"The book can be grouped with the other semi-autobiographical novel The Stark Munro Letters. It gives a detailed picture of the author's later years as a spiritualist, as the earlier one does of his years as a doctor. The characters and events in the book are drawn from life" (Green and Gibson).

Approximately 3,000 copies were published on 19th March 1925 priced 7/6.

Green and Gibson A45.