Strange Combat

This is a vintage copy of "STRANGE COMBAT" by Sarah Salt. Scarce with its original dust jacket featuring Carmen cover art. 1931 1st edition; Brewer & Warren; New York. Fiction novel with a story-line that includes a boxer and boxing.

From the dust jacket flap: "The New York Times has placed Sarah Salt as 'an arresting and important figure among contemporary English authors' even before 'Strange Combat,' undoubtedly her best book, is published. It is hard to say in what way it is her best for her technique has always been individual, clean and rapid; her dialogue has always been fascinatingly real and profoundly revealing. But here her thrust is somehow deeper and her characters take even stronger possession of the reader than did the characters in her earlier books. This is the story of Jane, a sophisticated journalist and Andrew, an out-of-work boxer, simple, impulsive, always dreaming of future triumphs. Moving in intellectual circles, Jane is too aware of approaching middle-age and has a definite fear of future loneliness. She fastens on Andrew an almost primitive love which as it senses frustration changes to jealousy and hatred. The scenes between them - the emotion, the deep-seated fear and hostility, the hypnotic attraction, are extraordinarily vivid and exciting. Against this battle of emotions is the background of Jane's intellectual life and the sheerly physical existence of Andrew, his boxing-school with its amazing old professor and the fierce, powerfully described boxing-match in the small hall in the East End of London - a physical climax that is followed only too soon by the emotional crescendo. Here is Miss Salt's insight in full play, an insight which Gerald Gould says 'would be diabolical save for the light of pity unexpressed but implied.'"

Condition:
There are a few very light stains on the covers; clean spine. Sharp cover corners. Tight binding with no cracks and no loose pages. Both covers are firmly attached. The pages are mostly clean with the exception of a tiny stain at the outer margin of page 9 & 11, and dime-sized stain spots at the bottom edge of pages 50 & 51 (a bit of the top paper layer of page 51 has peeled off and has adhered to the stain spot on page 50). Light tanning along the inner edge of the front and rear end papers. The rear pastedown has a number " 01 " (?) stamped very lightly in ink. There are tiny, dark foxing spots at the top edge of the text block. Overall the book is in Good+ condition. The dust jacket has soiling & light foxing to the covers; the price has been clipped from the front flap; 2" tear at the bottom-right corner of the spine...overall the jacket is in Good condition. (The dust jacket comes with a clear protective sleeve - not shown.)