Correspondence – Page 24

To: Lieut.-Robin White, R.N., B.N.S. Antelope.

Fm. crg

Plymouth,

10/VI/31.

Dear Lieutenant White

You will have thought me very rude for not
answering your letter before, but I have been on detached
duty for months, testing and testing some new type of motor-
boats being built for the R.A.F. A hard interesting job
which has entirely held up all my affairs.

Consequently the Odyssey is not finished. I have
done book EI, and have 3 to do. The publisher wants it as
soon as possible, to produce in the late autumn or next
spring. It will probably be 13 guineas, and is not yet
all subscribed. 500 copies. This bad season has killed
the luxury book trade, like all other luxuries: and Every
Valley Ltd. (15 Clifford’s Inn Fleet Street E.C.4) will be
lucky if they sell the whole edition, now.

I would like to give you a copy, but get only two,
and both are earmarked already.

I do not know what to say about the book. It is
very well but plainly printed: very little decoration:
plainly bound. The translation is better than some, but
worse (definitely) than Samuel Butler’s. The thing does
not greatly appeal to me. I’m afraid: and as an investment
it is not good, the bottom having fallen out of the fine-
edition market.

I saw Maurice Baring, who rolled into Plymouth on
his Tiger months ago. He spoke of you. A strange, joyful
creature, all falling to bits, as for the last 20 years.

Hornby is closing his Press, after the Thucydides,
I fear. He has done such lovely work. His Quixote, his
Spengler, his Dante, his (note di’ardine), his Virgil ….
dozens of them.