Perhaps it’s only fitting that the first Arkham House book from the 1940s that I own is called The Fourth Book of Jorkens. Despite being nearly 80 years old, this book, published in 1948, is in pretty decent shape. There are a few tiny bumps in the dust jacket, at the top and bottom, and the book has a dusty, antiquarian smell. Yet otherwise the pages are clean, and the binding tight.
Written by Lord Dunsany, heir to one of the oldest Irish peerages, and one of the greatest fantasy writers of the 20th century, The Fourth Book of Jorkens contains a slew of short (tall) tales. It was first published by Jarrolds in the UK in 1947, and by Arkham House the following year.
It’s amazing to see a publication price of only $3, and yet, on the back page there are advertised books from the publisher for $1.50 and $2.00, with most the others listed for $3. Today, a hardcover book, even as slim as this one, would not be listed for less than $25. And yet, there you have legends in the field with their books for sale at such a low price. At least, one thinks so, but $3 in 1948, right after WWII might have seemed like a fortune to many people.
