Alphabetical Catalogue of Books in General Literature and Fiction [1913]

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Alphabetical Catalogue of Books in General Literature and Fiction [1913]

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By Robert Nguyen Posted on Dec 11, 2025

In Category - Travel Writing

Authors: Chatto & Windus (Firm) Published By : Chatto & Windus (Firm)

Book Language: English

Ever wonder what was actually on the shelves of a proper Edwardian bookshop? This isn't a novel—it's a time capsule. 'Alphabetical Catalogue of Books in General Literature and Fiction' is the 1913 sales list from the legendary publisher Chatto & Windus. Flipping through it is like stepping into a literary world right before the First World War changed everything. You'll find the blockbusters of the day next to forgotten gems, and the prices will make any modern book collector cry. It’s a weirdly fascinating detective story about taste, history, and what we choose to remember.

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=ALLEN (GRANT), Books by.= Crown 8vo. cloth, _3s. 6d._ each; post 8vo. illustrated boards, _2s._ each. =Babylon.= With 12 Illustrations. =Strange Stories.= =The Beckoning Hand.= =For Maimie's Sake.= =Philistia.= =The Devil's Die.= =This Mortal Coil.= =Dumaresq's Daughter.= =Under Sealed Orders.= =The Duchess of Powysland.= =Blood Royal.= =Ivan Groet's Masterpiece.= =The Scallywag.= With 24 Illustrations. =In all Shades.= =The Great Taboo.= =At Market Value.= =The Tents of Shem,= POPULAR EDITION, medium 8vo. _6d._ =ANDERSON (MARY).--Othello's Occupation.= Crown 8vo. cloth, _3s. 6d._ =ANTROBUS (C. L.), Novels by.= Crown 8vo. cloth, _3s. 6d._ each. =Quality Corner.= =The Wine of Finvarra.= =Wildersmoor.= =The Stone Ezel.= Crown 8vo. cloth, _6s._ =ALEXANDER (Mrs.), Novels by.= Crown 8vo. cloth, _3s. 6d._ each; post 8vo. picture boards. _2s._ each. =Valerie's Fate.= =A Life Interest.= =Blind Fate.= =Mona's Choice.= =Woman's Wit.= Crown 8vo. cloth, _3s. 6d._ each. =The Cost of her Pride.= =A Golden Autumn.= =Barbara, Lady's Maid & Peeress.= =Mrs. Crichton's Creditor.= =A Missing Hero.= =A Fight with Fate.= =The Step-mother.= =ALMAZ (E. F.).--Copper under the Gold.= Crown 8vo. cloth, _3s. 6d._ =AMERICAN FARMER, LETTERS FROM AN.= By J. H. ST. JOHN CRÈVECOEUR. Demy 8vo. cloth, _6s._ net. =APPLETON (G. W.).--Rash Conclusions.= Crown 8vo. cloth, _3s. 6d._ =ARNOLD (E. L.), Stories by.= =The Wonderful Adventures of Phra the Phoenician.= Crown 8vo. cloth, with 12 Illusts. by H. M. PAGET, _3s. 6d._; post 8vo. illustrated boards, _2s._ =The Constable of St. Nicholas.= With a Frontispiece. Crown 8vo. cloth, _3s. 6d._; picture cloth, flat back, _2s._ =ART and LETTERS LIBRARY (The.)= Large Crown 8vo. Each volume with 8 Coloured Plates, and 24 in Half-tone. Bound in cloth, _7s. 6d._ net per vol. EDITION DE LUXE, small 4to. printed on pure rag paper, with additional Plates, parchment. _15s._ net per vol. =Stories of the Italian Artists from Vasari.= Collected and arranged by E. L. SEELEY. Small 4to. with 13 Coloured Plates and 24 in Half-tone. =Artists of the Italian Renaissance:= their Stories as set forth by Vasari, Ridolfi, Lanzi, and the Chroniclers. Collected and arranged by E. L. SEELEY. =Stories of the Flemish and Dutch Artists,= from the time of the Van Eycks to the End of the Seventeenth Century, drawn from Contemporary Records. Collected and arranged by VICTOR REYNOLDS. =Stories of the English Artists,= from Van Dyck to Turner (1600-1851). Collected and arranged by RANDALL DAVIES and CECIL HUNT. =Stories of the French Artists,= from Clouet to Delacroix. Collected and arranged by P. M. TURNER and C. H. COLLINS BAKER. =Stories of the Spanish Artists= until GOYA. By Sir WILLIAM STIRLING-MAXWELL. Selected and arranged by LUIS CARREÑO. With Introduction by EDWARD HUTTON. =Stories of the German Artists.= By Prof. Dr. HANS W. SINGER. =The Little Flowers of S. Francis of Assisi.= Translated by Prof. T. W. ARNOLD. With 8 Illustrations in Colour and 24 In Half-tone. =Of the Imitation of Christ,= by THOMAS À KEMPIS, as translated out of the Latin by RICHARD WHYTFORD (A.D. 1556); re-edited into modern English with an Historical Introduction by WILFRID RAYNAL, O.S.B. With 8 Reproductions in four Colours, and decorations in line, after Water colours by W. RUSSELL FLINT. The EDITION DE LUXE has four additional Plates in Colour and may also be had bound in pigskin with clasps, _25s._ net. =The Confessions of Saint Augustine.= Translated by Dr. E. B. PUSEY. Edited by TEMPLE SCOTT. With an Introduction by Mrs. MEYNELL, and 12 Plates by MAXWELL ARMFIELD in four Colours. The EDITION DE LUXE has the plates mounted, and may also be had bound in pigskin with clasps, _25s._ net. Large Crown 8vo. cloth, _7s. 6d._ net each; parchment, _10s. 6d._ net each....

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Continue Reading Full Book

Okay, let's be clear from the start: this is a catalog. It’s a list of books for sale by a major London publisher in 1913. There's no plot, no characters in the traditional sense. But the story it tells is about a world on the brink. As you scan the alphabetical entries—from adventure tales and poetry collections to philosophy and history—you're seeing what a literate, middle-class English reader was expected to want. It’s a snapshot of a cultural moment frozen in time.

Why You Should Read It

I picked this up out of sheer curiosity and couldn't put it down. It’s addictive in the strangest way. You start looking for authors you know (yes, Dickens is there) and then get completely sidetracked by the wild titles and subjects that have faded from memory. The prices, in shillings and pence, are a reality check. It makes you ask: What was considered important? What stories were they telling themselves? It’s less about reading the books listed and more about reading the society that bought them.

Final Verdict

This is a niche treasure, but a real one. It’s perfect for history buffs, book collectors, writers looking for period detail, or anyone who loves to get lost in archives. If you enjoy connecting dots and imagining the past through everyday objects, you'll find this catalog surprisingly gripping. It’s not a page-turner; it’s a thought-provoker. Keep it on your shelf next to your novels—it provides the ultimate context.

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