Best of
Fiction

1938

Alamut


Vladimir Bartol - 1938
    Believing in the supreme Ismaili motto “Nothing is true, everything is permitted,” Sabbah wanted to “experiment” with how far he could manipulate religious devotion for his own political gain through appealing to what he called the stupidity and gullibility of people and their passion for pleasure and selfish desires. The novel focuses on Sabbah as he unveils his plan to his inner circle, and on two of his young followers — the beautiful slave girl Halima, who has come to Alamut to join Sabbah's paradise on earth, and young ibn Tahir, Sabbah's most gifted fighter. As both Halima and ibn Tahir become disillusioned with Sabbah's vision, their lives take unexpected turns. Alamut was originally written in 1938 as an allegory to Mussolini's fascist state. In the 1960's it became a cult favorite throughout Tito's Yugoslavia, and in the 1990s, during the Balkan's War, it was read as an allegory of the region's strife and became a bestseller in Germany, France and Spain.

Rebecca


Daphne du Maurier - 1938
    . .The novel begins in Monte Carlo, where our heroine is swept off her feet by the dashing widower Maxim de Winter and his sudden proposal of marriage. Orphaned and working as a lady's maid, she can barely believe her luck. It is only when they arrive at his massive country estate that she realizes how large a shadow his late wife will cast over their lives--presenting her with a lingering evil that threatens to destroy their marriage from beyond the grave.

Address Unknown


Kathrine Kressmann Taylor - 1938
    Published in book form a year later and banned in Nazi Germany, it garnered high praise in the United States and much of Europe. A series of fictional letters between a Jewish art dealer living in San Francisco and his former business partner, who has returned to Germany, Address Unknown is a haunting tale of enormous and enduring impact.

Tracy's Tiger


William Saroyan - 1938
    The Saroyan story was transplanted from New York to 1950s San Francisco for the musical.

On the Edge of Reason


Miroslav Krleža - 1938
    In On the Edge of Reason, his protagonist is a middle-aged lawyer whose life and career have been eminently respectable and respected. One evening, at a party attended by the local elite, he inadvertently blurts out an honest thought. From this moment, all hell breaks loose.... On the Edge of Reason reveals the fundamental chasm between conformity and individuality. As folly piles on folly, hypocrisy on hypocrisy, reason itself begins to give way, and the edge between reality and unreality disappears.--back cover

Space Trilogy: Out of the Silent Planet / Perelandra / That Hideous Strength


C.S. Lewis - 1938
    Lewis's ill-informed and terrified victim who leaves Earth much against his will and who, in the first book of the trilogy, Out of the Silent Planet, published by the Bodley Head in 1938, encounters the imaginary and delightful world of Macalandra. In the second book, Perelandra (1943), Ransom is transported to a world of sweet smells and delicious tastes, a new Garden of Eden in which is enacted, with a difference, the story of Temptation. That Hideous Strength (1945) completes the trilogy and finds Dr Ransom returned from his travels in space and living in an English university town - where the Senior Common Room is given a mysterious depth, a more than earthly dimension which such things, in the author's view, always have in life.C.S. Lewis believed that popular science was the new mythology of his age, and in The Cosmic Trilogy he ransacks the uncharted territory of space and makes that mythology the medium of his spiritual imagination.

Wait Until Spring, Bandini


John Fante - 1938
    Here was a disgusted man. His name was Svevo Bandini, and he lived three blocks down that street. He was cold and there were holes in his shoes. That morning he had patched the holes on the inside with pieces of cardboard from a macaroni box. The macaroni in that box was not paid for. He had thought of that as he placed the cardboard inside his shoes.

The Man Who Counted: A Collection of Mathematical Adventures


Malba Tahan - 1938
    He turned out to be a born storyteller.The adventures of Beremiz Samir, The Man Who Counted, take the reader on an exotic journey in which, time and again, he summons his extraordinary mathematical powers to settle disputes, give wise advice, overcome dangerous enemies, and win for himself fame and fortune. as we accompany him, we learn much of the history of famous mathematicisns who preceded him; we undergo a series of trials at the hands of the wise men of the day; and we come to admire the warm wisdom and patience that earn him the respect and affection of those whose problems he resolves so astutely. In the grace of their telling, these stories hold unusual delights for the reader.

Uncle Tom's Children


Richard Wright - 1938
    Published in 1938, this was the first book from Wright, who would continue on to worldwide fame as the author of the novels Native Son and Black Boy.

Homing


Grace Livingston Hill - 1938
    She has no family, no friends, and no home. Destitute, living in a dingy back room in a boarding house, Jane struggles to survive—and to find hope. Then, through a set of unexpected circumstances, she meets Audrey Havenner and gradually begins to believe that life isn't as grim as she had thought.But it isn't until she meets Audrey's handsome lawyer brother that Jane suddenly finds her life turned completely upside down.

The Odyssey: A Modern Sequel


Nikos Kazantzakis - 1938
    Following an encounter with the former Helen of Troy (now returned to her husband, the king of Sparta, after the ignominious defeat of the Trojans), Odysseus gradually wends his way to Egypt and southward, grappling all the while with questions about the nature of God. Considered by Kazantzakis himself to be one of his most important works, The Odyssey takes readers on a richly imagined quest for adventure and understanding with one of literature’s most timeless characters.

Iron Gustav: A Berlin Family Chronicle


Hans Fallada - 1938
    Meanwhile, the First World War is destroying his career, his country and his pride in the German people. As Germany and the Hackendahl family unravel, Gustav has to learn to compromise if he is to hold onto anything he holds dear. Iron Gustav is both a moving, realist account of the aftermath of the First World War, and a deeply involving story of a family in crisis. Yet running through the unflinching truth, immediacy and emotional power of Fallada's prose is the charming, almost folkloric whimsicality that makes him such a master story-teller.

My Son, My Son


Howard Spring - 1938
    Plus some other assorted characters, from old Mr Moscrop and his daughter Nellie, and Maeve O'Riordon. Those boys grow up in friendship, but the passing years create circumstances that divide them as their fathers learn the hard way that sons do not always develop the way a parent might wish.

Adventures of the Little Wooden Horse


Ursula Moray Williams - 1938
    The little wooden horse loves Uncle Peder like a father and hopes never to leave him. When the toymaker falls on hard times, the little wooden horse must go out into the world to seek his fortune. But whether he's working in a coal mine, walking the tightrope in a circus, or gathering pirate treasure, the loyal little horse has only one desire: to return to his beloved master's side. First published in 1938, Adventures of the Little Wooden Horse is well-loved modern children's classic.

Winged Pharaoh


Joan Marshall Grant - 1938
    Her seven historical novels stand out for their vividness and rich detail. For Joan, these books were not works of the imagination but personal recollections of her previous lives. In Winged Pharaoh, Joan Grant tells the story of Sekeeta, the Pharaoh's daughter. The ancient Egyptians reserved the title of "Winged Pharaoh" for ruler-priests who possessed extra-sensory powers. When Sekeeta demonstrates psychic abilities, she is sent to the temple and trained to recall past lives. Upon the death of her father, she becomes a "Winged Pharaoh" - both priestess and Pharaoh - and leads her country with enlightenment. The most famous of Joan Grant's "Far Memory" novels, this book brings the grandeur, beauty, and mystery of ancient Egypt to life. Upon Winged Pharaoh's original publication in 1937, the New York Times called it "an unusual book that shines with fire."

The Yearling


Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings - 1938
    Young Jody adopts an orphaned fawn he calls Flag and makes it a part of his family and his best friend. But life in the Florida backwoods is harsh, and so, as his family fights off wolves, bears, and even alligators, and faces failure in their tenuous subsistence farming, Jody must finally part with his dear animal friend. There has been a film and even a musical based on this moving story, a fine work of great American literature.--back cover

In Dreams Begin Responsibilities and Other Stories


Delmore Schwartz - 1938
    Eight stories portray the world of the New York intellectual during the 1930's and 1940's, probing the conflict between ambitious, educated youths and their immigrant parents.

Maris


Grace Livingston Hill - 1938
    Then disaster strikes - Maris's precious mother collapses and becomes dangerously ill. Maris turns to Tilford for comfort and understanding only to encounter a haughty decree: The wedding must go on as planned, whether her mother lives or dies! Indignant, Maris begins to doubt Tilford's love and character - especially when a handsome friend from her past shows her real love and support.But the final blow comes when Maris finds herself enmeshed in a dangerous plot - formulated and executed by none other than Tilford himself! Now Maris sees the agonizing choices she must make... but is it too late?Grace Livingston Hill is the beloved author of more than 100 books. Read and enjoyed by millions, her wholesome stories contain adventure, romance, and the heartwarming triumphs of people faced with the problems of life and love.

Ruined City


Nevil Shute - 1938
    When successful banker Henry Warren arrives, falls ill, is confined to hospital, he sees locals dying for no apparent reason and aims to help. But all is not well with the schemes of Henry Warren.

Count Belisarius


Robert Graves - 1938
    Invaders threatened on all fronties, but they grew to respect and fear the name of Belisarius, the Emperor Justinian's greatest general. With this book Robert Graves again demonstrates his command of a vast historical subject, creating a startling and vivid picture of a decadent era.

House of Fear


Leonora Carrington - 1938
    Leonora Carrington, an artist of the Surrealist Movement, here joins fiction with autobiography in a collection of work including accounts of her life before and after she met Max Ernst as well as short stories, a novella and original artwork.

Dynasty of Death


Taylor Caldwell - 1938
    The mighty saga of three generations cursed by a bloodstained fortune, set in the 19th century.

Archy's Life of Mehitabel


Don Marquis - 1938
    Don Marquis' creations have been constantly in print since 1934.

Manja


Anna Gmeyner - 1938
    Set in the turbulent Germany of the Weimar Republic, it goes on, equally dramatically, to describe the lives of the children and their families until 1933 when the Nazis came to power. 'What is so unusual,' wrote the playwright Berthold Viertel in 1938, 'is the way the novel contrasts the children's community - in all its idealism, romanticism, decency and enchantment - with the madhouse community of the adults.'

All This, and Heaven Too


Rachel Field - 1938
    The heroine, Henriette Deluzy-Desportes, governess to the children of the Duc de Praslin, found herself strangely drawn to her employer; when the Duc murdered his wife in the most savage fashion, she had to plead her own case before the Chancellor of France in a sensational murder trial that helped bring down the French king. After winning her freedom, Henriette took refuge in America, where she hosted a salon visited by all the socialites of New York and New England. This thrilling historical romance, full of passion, mystery, and intrigue, has laid claim to the hearts and minds of readers for generations. This replaces 044102226X.

Night and the City


Gerald Kersh - 1938
    He operates in the Soho of the 1930s, a metropolitan tangle of dodgy geezers, prostitutes, spivs and strong-arm men. Twice filmed, Night and the City is a seminal low-life novel, which presents a vivid glimpse of a lost London. It also marks the return of a lost London author, Gerald Kersh, a maverick character whose life was as colourful as those of his most flamboyant creations.

The Web and the Rock


Thomas Wolfe - 1938
    The first half of this posthumously published novel describes George's evolution from small-town southern boy to struggling New York novelist and attempts to answer the brooding protagonist's question, "What is it that a young man wants?" The second half is devoted to his tempestuous affair with a sophisticated married woman. Ultimately, George, repulsed by the frivolous lifestyle of his wealthy mistress and her circle, retreats to Europe. But, once again, his idealism is shattered as Hitler rises to power in Germany. Disillusioned, George dreams of returning to the South of his childhood but realizes that "you can't go home again."

T-Model Tommy


Stephen W. Meader - 1938
    Red-headed Tom Ballard started off with no capital except his ancient T-Model Ford truck and built up a thriving business by his own efforts. Among the difficulties he had to overcome were the hazards of confronting the truck driver, perils of stormy weather and the danger of attack from hijackers. Tom found himself involved in adventures that took all his courage to surmount. But the battle he waged to get his business started and keep it going will interest boys as much, and will give them a great deal to think about. Mr. Meader’s familiar skill at handling plot and character shines with particular brilliance against the sober background of real existence.

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day


Winifred Watson - 1938
    When her employment agency sends her to the wrong address, her life takes an unexpected turn. The alluring nightclub singer, Delysia LaFosse, becomes her new employer, and Miss Pettigrew encounters a kind of glamour that she had only met before at the movies. Over the course of a single day, both women are changed forever.

Marigold


Grace Livingston Hill - 1938
    She thought she'd found the love of her life - until a stranger unlocked deep new feelings in her heart.She'd come to Washington to be alone - and to teach Laurence not to take her for granted. But instead of solitude, Marigold found herself enjoying the city with an attractive, intriguing escort. She couldn't help comparing him with the man she thought she loved. And she couldn't stop what was happening to her heart.Grace Livingston Hill is the beloved author of more than 100 books. Read and enjoyed by millions, her wholesome stories contain adventure, romance, and the heartwarming triumphs of people faced with the problems of life and love.

Pigeons from Hell


Robert E. Howard - 1938
    Howard, written in late 1934 and published posthumously by Weird Tales in 1938. The story title derives from an image present in many of Howard's grandmother's ghost stories, that of an old deserted plantation mansion haunted by ghostly pigeons.

Forest of a Thousand Daemons: A Hunter's Saga


D.O. Fagunwa - 1938
    Here are the adventures of Akara-ogun – son of a brave warrior and a wicked witch – as he journeys into the forest, encountering and dealing with all-too-real unforeseen forces, engaging in dynamic spiritual and moral relationships with personifications of his fate, perhaps projections of the terrors and obsessions that haunt man.

Man in the Saddle


Ernest Haycox - 1938
    When pushed to the wall, the hero is forced to resort to gun-play in an attempt to secure his livelihood and the love of his life. A thrilling read packed with gritty western attitude and gun-toting action, Man in the Saddle is a book not to be missed by any lover of western narrative. A giant western literature, Ernest Haycox is famous for introducing a more complex, brooding hero into the western literature, arguably defining the genre and giving rise to the gritty determination often found in the characters of canonical western films. Famous for doing careful historical research, the books of Ernest Haycox are credited as being accurate portrayals of western history, full of action and insight. This book has been republished here with a biography of the author.

The Red Keep: A Story of Burgundy in 1165


Allen French - 1938
    They raid the Red Keep, in hope of gaining it for themselves, only to be thwarted by Sir Roger and young Conan. Now they plot anew to steal the Keep from its rightful owner, Lady Anne. She, with Conan and her loyal followers, sets out to bring justice upon the evil brothers. An action-filled tale with the authentic flavor of the twelfth century, by the author of The Story of Rolf and the Viking Bow.

She Shall Have Music


Kitty Barne - 1938
    The only musical member of a non-musical family, Karen Forrest discovers and pursues her passion for the piano.

The Oval Lady, Other Stories: Six Surreal Stories


Leonora Carrington - 1938
    

Mr. Popper's Penguins


Richard Atwater - 1938
    Before long, something must be done before they eat the Poppers out of house and home!A classic of American humor, this story of a gentle housepainter and his high stepping penguins has delighted children for generations.

Johnny Pye and the Fool-Killer


Stephen Vincent Benét - 1938
    

King of the Tinkers


Patricia Lynch - 1938
    

House of All Nations


Christina Stead - 1938
    Set in an elite European bank in the 1930s, Stead’s epic spans the interwar years of a money-hungry Paris. Jules Bertillon, the distrustful and unpredictable bank director, sees every national disaster—including war—as an opportunity for riches. Adored by his clients for his ability to rake in staggering profits, Bertillon leaves no opening wasted—even if it means dealing with unsavory speculators or ruthless gamblers while his clients suffer the consequences. A stunning page-turner, House of All Nations is as significant and resonant today as it was upon its publication in 1938.

Iron Duke


John R. Tunis - 1938
    To face the difficulties and disappointments of his first year, Jim must gain poise and a sense of proportion.

Lone Star Preacher


John W. Thomason Jr. - 1938
    

The Strumpet Sea


Ben Ames Williams - 1938
    The South Seas In The 1870sWhere the native girls swim out to meet you, playing around your ship like brown seals.Where there are fortunes to be made in pearls and whale oil -- if you don't mind killing a few people to get them."A tropical paradise," said the whaling captain."A smiling hell," said the missionary."A lonely exile," said the missionary's lovely wife--until the captain stared hungrily into her eyes.

They Drive by Night


James Curtis - 1938
    

Three Children and Shakespeare


Anne Terry White - 1938
    Four plays are used: The Merchant of Venice, Midsummer Night's Dream, Julius Caesar and The Taming Of The Shrew.

Bound Girl of Cobble Hill


Lois Lenski - 1938
    Her uncle is the landlord of a small village tavern in northwestern Connecticut in 1784 and Mindwell must work for her keep. Through her struggles, Mindwell lives up to her name and becomes a favorite with the locals. When she can no longer tolerate the neglect of her aunt and uncle, Mindwell runs away but later returns to be adopted by them with a promise of better treatment.

A Game of Snakes and Ladders


Doris Langley Moore - 1938
    The show closes, and Daisy stays on with a well-to-do businessman while Lucy eagerly plans her return to England. But then she falls seriously ill, then in debt to Daisy’s lover. She finds that Daisy, anxious not to alienate her meal ticket, has rashly promised that Lucy will remain in Egypt and work for him until he’s repaid.Thus in Egypt they remain, over the course of nearly 20 years, while Moore’s intricate, lovely plot unfolds. Frivolous Daisy, the cause of Lucy’s woes, ascends the ladder of wealth while Lucy, downtrodden but diligent, slaves and toils. Misunderstandings, deceptions, and self-deceptions abound, and finally the stage is set for Lucy’s “sweeping triumph”, as giddy and satisfying a climax as any a 19th century master could have conceived. A Game of Snakes and Ladders may remind readers of Fanny Burney or George Eliot, or even Jane Austen, but it’s always, definitively and incomparably, Doris Langley Moore. This new edition includes an introduction by Sir Roy Strong.

The Wall


Mary Roberts Rinehart - 1938
    Both of her parents died there, and she and her brother spent their youth exploring its rambling hallways and seaside grounds. They love the old house, but Marcia’s sister-in-law has never taken to it. Juliette loathes the sea, and soon comes to loathe her husband, as well. After they divorce, Juliette pays a final visit to Sunset, demanding alimony. She is there for a few tense days before she disappears. It takes them a week to find her body.The peace at Sunset has been shattered, and Marcia must work quickly to keep her beloved childhood home from being forever spoiled. Somewhere in the creaky old mansion, a murderer lurks. Will Marcia be accused of the crime? Or will she be the next victim?

Peter and the Church


G. Campbell Morgan - 1938
    

Mr. Emmanuel


Louis Golding - 1938
    Somewhat naively, he decides to travel to Germany to find her.Emmanuel puts up at a boarding-house and starts asking questions, but everyone is too scared to give him information. The authorities are equally unhelpful. Eventually, they decide that, despite his innocent appearance and British passport, he may well be a spy, and arrest him. Mr Emmanuel sees fellow prisoners tortured and led off to certain execution.He is eventually released, but instead of leaving the country, he continues to search for Bruno's Mother. But will he be able to tell Bruno the truth of what he finds?

Sons of the Sword Maker


Maurice Walsh - 1938
    

The Lonely Road


Jeffery Farnol - 1938
    Jeffery Farnol tells a stirring tale of pursuits and escape in the troubled times following the breakdown of the Jacobite rebellion of 1715. Jason Wayne fleeing from the red-coats, seeks refuge among the woodlands and valleys of his native Sussex. There he enlists the help of the Romany folk, of rustic smugglers and highwaymen. Above all, love comes to his rescue. At last, when all seems lost, he finds peace and contentment. There is an irresistible appeal in Mr. Farnol's stories because he lives them, and loves the people he creates. He has a pleasant habit of bringing into his new books old friends from former works. In the lonely road a number of familiar faces appear, the most welcome being of George Potter, that Guileless Sussex smuggler from Sir John Dering. The lonely road is in a true Farnol tradition. It has swift action, colour and romance, flashes of shrewd observation and vivid sketches of rustic character. From start to finish it swings along bravely.

Monarchy: A Study of Louis XIV


Hilaire Belloc - 1938
    

Dr Bradley Remembers


Francis Brett Young - 1938
    He recalls his marriage to Clara Medhurst, their son Matthew, and the hopes and disappointments that go with family life. He remembers the characters he met in North Bromwich and Sedgebury, and the life-long friendships he began, especially with Martin Lacey. In the days before the National Health Service, he reveals how precarious the rewards of a practice could be and the parts played by chance and determination. John Bradley remembers sympathetically his range of patients and the importance of medical advancements, particularly the use of antiseptics in saving lives. The novel is surprisingly modern in the medical issues it deals with such as childbirth and the misuse of drugs. Undoubtedly, being a G.P. is a lifetime’s ‘noble calling