 First edition | |
| Author | Dornford Yates |
|---|---|
| Genre | Novel |
| Publisher | Ward Lock & Co [1] |
Publication date | 1928 [2] |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 319 [1] |
Maiden Stakes is a 1928 collection of short stories by the English author Dornford Yates (Cecil William Mercer), first published in The Windsor Magazine .
The book consists of mostly stand-alone short stories, plus one ("Letters Patent") which features the author's 'Berry' characters and references Yates' book Perishable Goods .
The stories were written for The Windsor Magazine . Most appeared individually before publication in book form, but the last four, including the "Letters Patent" story, appeared later. [3]
| Chapter | Title | Windsor Date | Volume | Issue | Pages | Illustrator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | Childish Things | July 1925 | LXII | 366 | 121-133 | Albert Bailey |
| II | St. Jeames | August 1927 | LXVI | 392 | 265-277 | Lindsay Cable |
| III | Aesop's Fable | October 1927 | LXVII | 394 | 513-524 | Lindsay Cable |
| IV | Vanity Of Vanities | January 1928 | LXVIII | 397 | 170-180 | Norah Schlegel |
| V | Force Majeure | March 1928 | LXVIII | 399 | 386-398 | Henry Coller |
| VI | Bricks Without Straw | December 1927 | LXVIII | 396 | 21-31 | Lindsay Cable |
| VII | 'Service' | April 1929 | LXIX | 412 | 593-608 | P B Hickling |
| VIII | In Evidence | February 1929 | LXIX | 410 | 289-302 | J Dewar Mills |
| IX | Maiden Stakes | March 1929 | LXIX | 411 | 451-465 | R Allen Shuffrey |
| X | Letters Patent | January 1929 | LXIX | 409 | 157-169 | Lindsay Cable |
"Childish Things" and "Aesop's Fable" appeared in The Saturday Evening Post editions of 27/06/1925 and 10/09/1927 respectively. "St Jeames" appeared in Ladies' Home Journal in August 1927.
The book was written at a difficult time for Mercer, when relations between him and his wife Bettine were getting steadily worse. [4] Nevertheless, the original dedication read "To the American girl who did me the lasting honour to become my wife."
Cecil William Mercer, known by his pen name Dornford Yates, was an English writer and novelist whose novels and short stories, some humorous, some thrillers, were best-sellers during the Interwar Period.
The Brother of Daphne is a 1914 collection of comic short stories by the English author Dornford Yates, the first book published under the pen name he had been using for magazine pieces since 1910. This was also the first book to feature the group of characters that featured in many of his future works: Bertram ('Berry') Pleydell, his wife and cousin Daphne Pleydell, Daphne's brother Boy Pleydell, another cousin Jonathan ('Jonah') Mansel, and Jonah's younger sister Jill Mansel. The group of five - Berry, Daphne, Boy, Jonah and Jill - later came to be known collectively as 'Berry and Co'.
The Courts of Idleness is a 1920 collection of comic short stories by the English author Dornford Yates, his second book. Half of the tales feature his 'Berry' characters.
Berry and Co. is a 1921 collection of comic short stories by the English author Dornford Yates, his third book, featuring his recurring characters Bertram ('Berry') Pleydell, his wife and cousin Daphne Pleydell, Daphne's brother Boy Pleydell, another cousin Jonathan ('Jonah') Mansel, and Jonah's younger sister Jill Mansel. The group of five - Berry, Daphne, Boy, Jonah and Jill - are collectively 'Berry and Co.'
Jonah and Co. is a 1922 collection of comic short stories by the English author Dornford Yates, featuring his recurring 'Berry' characters.
Adèle and Co. is a 1931 comic novel by the English author Dornford Yates, featuring his recurring 'Berry' characters. This was Yates's first full-length Berry novel, following several earlier Berry short story collections. It was the first Berry book to be published in the UK by Hodder & Stoughton, and not to be serialised in The Windsor Magazine.
And Berry Came Too is a 1936 collection of comic short stories by the English author Dornford Yates, featuring his recurring 'Berry' characters.
The Berry Scene is a 1947 collection of comic short stories by the English author Dornford Yates, featuring his recurring 'Berry' characters.
Blind Corner is a 1927 novel by the English author Dornford Yates. The book was the first in his Chandos thriller series and is narrated in the first person by Richard Chandos. In addition to Chandos and his servant Bell, the novel features a cast of characters who recur in many of the later books: George Hanbury and Jonathan Mansel; their respective servants Rowley and Carson; and Tester the Sealyham terrier. Mansel's character also appears as Jonah Mansel in the author's 'Berry' series of comic books and short stories, though he is not written for comic effect in this nor the later 'Chandos' books.
Perishable Goods is a 1928 novel by the English author Dornford Yates, the second in his Chandos thriller series and a sequel to Blind Corner. The story features the recurrent characters Richard Chandos (narrator), Jonathan Mansel and George Hanbury, with their respective servants Bell, Carson and Rowley.
Blood Royal is a 1929 novel by the English author Dornford Yates, the third in his Chandos thriller series. The story features the recurrent characters Richard Chandos (narrator) and George Hanbury, with their servants Bell and Rowley. Jonathan Mansel does not appear in this book.
Red in the Morning is a 1946 adventure novel by the English author Dornford Yates, the seventh in his 'Chandos' thriller series. The events of the story immediately follow those of his 1939 novel Gale Warning in which Richard Chandos and Jonathan Mansel appear as characters. The book was published in the US under the title Were Death Denied.
Anthony Lyveden is a 1921 adventure novel by the English author Dornford Yates. It was first published in monthly instalments in The Windsor Magazine. The book was Mercer's first attempt at a full-length novel, and was succeeded by Valerie French which continued the story of the main characters.
Valerie French is a 1923 adventure novel by the English author Dornford Yates, a sequel to Anthony Lyveden. It was first published in monthly instalments in The Windsor Magazine.
And Five Were Foolish is a 1924 collection of short stories by the English author Dornford Yates, first published in The Windsor Magazine. The title is a reference to the Parable of the Ten Virgins.
As Other Men Are is a 1925 collection of short stories by the English author Dornford Yates, first published in The Windsor Magazine. The title is a reference to the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican.
The Stolen March is a 1926 fantasy novel by the English author Dornford Yates, first serialised in The Windsor Magazine.
Period Stuff is a collection of short stories by the English author Dornford Yates. Some were written in 1939 but not published in book form until 1942. Some of the tales had originally appeared in The Windsor Magazine and others in The Strand Magazine.
Lower than Vermin is a 1950 novel by the English author Dornford Yates. It was not a commercial success, dealing as it did with a vanished pre-war world of upper class characters that held little attraction to readers of the 1950s.
Ne'er-Do-Well is a 1954 detective novel by the English author Dornford Yates, his only work of the genre. Although Richard Chandos narrates, the book is not generally classified as a 'Chandos' title.