THE CAMEO OF THE EMPRESS
by Krausz, Sigmund
- Used
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- Some age darkening to text block, stain spots to upper front cover, spine a bit age darkened with some stain spots, rear cover s
- Seller
-
Laurel, Maryland, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Chicago: Laird & Lee Publishers, [1912]. First edition. Some age darkening to text block, stain spots to upper front cover, spine a bit age darkened with some stain spots, rear cover soiled and somewhat stained, a good copy. (21141). Octavo, pp. [1-2] [1-6] 7-280 + 3 leaves with publisher's ads on rectos with versos blank, five inserted plates with illustrations by Lucile Patterson, original light gray cloth, front and spine stamped in black and gold. John Oldfield, an archaeologist, and Robert Brush, a painter, have been friends since college and run into each other in Naples. Oldfield has come to the area to study the ruins of Pompeii, and Brush intends to spend a few months painting. By taking advantage of an uneducated local, Paolo Aratta, Oldfield acquires an ancient Roman cameo that bears the image of Messalina, the consort of the emperor Claudius. When Aratta discovers how he has been duped, he swears revenge on Oldfield, who refuses to return the cameo or pay him a reasonable sum for it. Lucile Penrose, whom Oldfield loves, falls under Aratta's influence, and Aratta nearly succeeds in trapping her in sham marriage. The occult plays a minor but memorable role in the novel via Jinradasa, a mysterious Hindu acquaintance of Oldfield and Brush. Jinradasa uses hypnosis to interrogate a police prisoner, and in the penultimate chapter, he immerses Aratta in a trance in which Aratta finds himself in an exotic temple, has his blood drained by a vampiric ape, and remains conscious but unable to speak or move as he is burned alive. This section of the novel is quite good, but the rest of the book is routine melodrama. - Boyd White.
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Details
- Bookseller
- John W. Knott, Jr., Bookseller, ABAA/ILAB (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 21141
- Title
- THE CAMEO OF THE EMPRESS
- Author
- Krausz, Sigmund
- Book Condition
- Used - Some age darkening to text block, stain spots to upper front cover, spine a bit age darkened with some stain spots, rear cover s
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First edition
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Publisher
- Laird & Lee Publishers
- Place of Publication
- Chicago
- Date Published
- [1912]
- Keywords
- Horror . Adventure Fiction
Terms of Sale
John W. Knott, Jr., Bookseller, ABAA/ILAB
30 day return guarantee, with full refund including original shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives mis-described or damaged.
About the Seller
John W. Knott, Jr., Bookseller, ABAA/ILAB
Biblio member since 2017
Laurel, Maryland
About John W. Knott, Jr., Bookseller, ABAA/ILAB
John W. Knott, Jr., BooksellerABAA/ILABFine First Editions
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Leaves
- Very generally, "leaves" refers to the pages of a book, as in the common phrase, "loose-leaf pages." A leaf is a single sheet...
- Text Block
- Most simply the inside pages of a book. More precisely, the block of paper formed by the cut and stacked pages of a book....
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- Soiled
- Generally refers to minor discoloration or staining.
- Octavo
- Another of the terms referring to page or book size, octavo refers to a standard printer's sheet folded four times, producing...