The Curse of Strathburn. An Australian Tale
Adelaide, Printed at the 'Christian World' Office, 1902.
Octavo, 230, [2] (first two and last one blank) pages plus advertisements from the publisher on the inside surfaces of the covers.
Ochre-coloured wrappers with the title printed within a decorative border on the front cover; minor loss at the ends of the spine, and a light crease across the foot of the front cover; a very good copy (internally a fine copy).
An 'earnest temperance tale with a South Australian setting' (Paul Depasquale: 'A Critical History of South Australian Literature, 1836-1930', 1978), ending on the following note: 'Dear Reader, this story of the awful curse of Australian wine in Australian homes is no exaggeration. I write of that which I know, and testify of that which I have seen'. A contemporary review in the Adelaide 'Register' (25 August 1902) is a spoiler in many ways, but spills not a drop about the novel's temperance roots, merely noting critically that 'the narrative might as well have been written for any part of the world where vineyards are found'.
Item #66707
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