WAKEFIELD, H.R. The Clock Strikes Twelve Arkham House, 1946.
8vo. Publisher’s black cloth, lettered in gilt to spine, illustrated dust jacket retaining price of $3.00 to front flap; pp. [12], 248, [4]; pushing to crown and base of spine, minor fading to dust jacket; very good.
First US edition.
A collection of ghost stories by Herbert Russell Wakefield, a prolific author of haunted tales frequently compared to M.R James in tone and subject. Wakefield's work appeared in popular periodicals and found favour with August Derleth of Arkham House. Though a shorter version of this book appeared in London in 1940, by 1946, Derleth had published The Clock Strikes Twelve in a larger more complete US edition. The forward to the text, titled "Why I Write Ghost Stories" gives some insight into why Wakefield chose to write ghost stories (it has something to do with a haunted spoon) and is all the more interesting considering he burned his correspondence files, manuscripts and all photographs of himself shortly before his death.
SKU: 2116534