“Bhowani Junction” by John Masters. New York: The Viking Press, 1954. First edition. Movie tie-in.
“John Masters’ first story of modern India, following his three widely read and widely hailed historical novels, is likely to be his most successful book. It is a story of the ebb and flow of violence, misunderstanding, and terror preceding the coming of Indian independence, and it adds a new dimension of immediate reality to the author’s established reputation for narrative and scenic brilliance.
“Few readers will forget the beautiful, tragic Anglo-Indian, Victoria Jones, daughter of two heritages and two bloods, or the three men who loved her – Patrick Taylor, whose mixed blood matched her own; Colonel Rodney Savage, whose love offered one solution to her dilemma; and the Sikh Ranjit, who offered a different answer altogether. Primarily “Bhowani Junction” is the drama of these men and this woman, but beyond this it is packed with unforgettable incidents and characters. One of John Masters’ most striking gifts is the power to evoke the sight and smell of India through the use of the exciting scene: a train thundering through the night toward an ambush, a desperate search through the dark jungle for a Communist terrorist, quiet moments beside a cool mountain stream, and a well-laid plot that boomeranged.
“In this dramatic story of Indians, Anglo-Indians, and British torn and twisted by desperate conflicts of race, religion, and personality, the author has written a long and full-bodied novel of a nation and its people at the point of crisis. It is a major achievement by an author whose popularity has grown with each succeeding book.” [From the text on the dustjacket]
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Most “movie tie-ins” are reprints, usually photoplay editions or mass market paperbacks, not original first editions. This book is a true first edition of the novel published by Viking Press in 1954.
Accompanying the book is a publisher-issued promotional band (wraparound “belly band”) printed in bright yellow, advertising MGM’s 1956 motion picture adaptation starring Ava Gardner and Stewart Granger. The band is a separate item, wrapped around the dustjacket, preserving the original jacket while simultaneously linking the book to its film release. Also included is a bookmark featuring an ad for the movie, an ephemeral piece seldom retained by readers.
While photoplay editions and paperback tie-ins are common, publisher-supplied bands and advertising inserts converting a first edition into a movie tie-in are rare.
“Bhowani Junction” by John Masters. New York: The Viking Press, 1954. First edition. Movie tie-in.
“John Masters’ first story of modern India, following his three widely read and widely hailed historical novels, is likely to be his most successful book. It is a story of the ebb and flow of violence, misunderstanding, and terror preceding the coming of Indian independence, and it adds a new dimension of immediate reality to the author’s established reputation for narrative and scenic brilliance.
“Few readers will forget the beautiful, tragic Anglo-Indian, Victoria Jones, daughter of two heritages and two bloods, or the three men who loved her – Patrick Taylor, whose mixed blood matched her own; Colonel Rodney Savage, whose love offered one solution to her dilemma; and the Sikh Ranjit, who offered a different answer altogether. Primarily “Bhowani Junction” is the drama of these men and this woman, but beyond this it is packed with unforgettable incidents and characters. One of John Masters’ most striking gifts is the power to evoke the sight and smell of India through the use of the exciting scene: a train thundering through the night toward an ambush, a desperate search through the dark jungle for a Communist terrorist, quiet moments beside a cool mountain stream, and a well-laid plot that boomeranged.
“In this dramatic story of Indians, Anglo-Indians, and British torn and twisted by desperate conflicts of race, religion, and personality, the author has written a long and full-bodied novel of a nation and its people at the point of crisis. It is a major achievement by an author whose popularity has grown with each succeeding book.” [From the text on the dustjacket]
--------------------------------------------------
Most “movie tie-ins” are reprints, usually photoplay editions or mass market paperbacks, not original first editions. This book is a true first edition of the novel published by Viking Press in 1954.
Accompanying the book is a publisher-issued promotional band (wraparound “belly band”) printed in bright yellow, advertising MGM’s 1956 motion picture adaptation starring Ava Gardner and Stewart Granger. The band is a separate item, wrapped around the dustjacket, preserving the original jacket while simultaneously linking the book to its film release. Also included is a bookmark featuring an ad for the movie, an ephemeral piece seldom retained by readers.
While photoplay editions and paperback tie-ins are common, publisher-supplied bands and advertising inserts converting a first edition into a movie tie-in are rare.