South Wind.

DOUGLAS, Norman.

$750.00

Item Number: 142093

London: Martin Secker, 1917.

First edition of the author’s classic work based on the island of Capri. Octavo, original cloth. In near fine condition. Housed in a custom half morocco and chemise case.

The South Wind of the title is the Sirocco, which wreaks havoc with the islanders' sense of decency and morality. Much of the natural detail in the book is provided by Capri and other Mediterranean locations that Douglas knew well. The island's name Nepenthe denotes a drug of Egyptian origin (mentioned in the Odyssey) which was capable of banishing grief or trouble from the mind. The novel was written in Capri and in London, and after its publication in June 1917 it went through seven editions rapidly, achieving startling large-scale success. Critics at the time complained about the lack of a well-constructed plot. The book was adapted for the stage in London in 1923 by Isabel C. Tippett, and Graham Greene considered the possibility of writing a film script based on it.