J. Meade Falkner

The discovery of a beautiful Stradivarius violin in a hidden cupboard at Magdalen Hall, Oxford, appears to be a stroke of good fortune for music student John Maltravers. But there is something sinister in the violin's history something corrupt which threatens to re-emerge as the bewitched Maltravers plays and replays a devilish tune he is powerless to resist. First published in 1895, The Lost Stradivarius has garnered a revered status as a true classic of strange fiction, described by the famed critic E. F. Bleiler as the novel M. R. James might have written, had he written novels.

"The Lost Stradivarius" is a gripping Gothic horror novel written by John Meade Falkner, renowned for its atmospheric setting and sinister undertones. The narrative revolves around the ominous legacy of a cursed Stradivarius violin, its malevolent influence haunting the lives of those who come into contact with it. Falkner intricately weaves a tale of obsession, supernatural forces, and psychological turmoil, drawing readers into a world of eerie occurrences and unexplained mysteries. As the story unfolds, the protagonist, John Maltravers, becomes increasingly entangled in the dark secrets surrounding the violin, confronting the dark forces that threaten his sanity and his very existence. "The Lost Stradivarius" stands as a classic in Gothic literature, captivating readers with its haunting ambiance and its exploration of the timeless themes of fate, temptation, and the allure of the occult.

Moonfleet (1898) is an adventure novel by J. Meade Falkner. Largely forgotten by today’s readers, Falkner was more widely known in his lifetime for his nonfiction works on history and topography as well as his role as chairman of a major arms manufacturer. Far from the amateur musings of a bored millionaire, Falkner’s writing shows a mastery of genre fiction while benefitting from his extensive geographical knowledge. Moonfleet has been adapted several times for radio, television, and film, most notably for Fritz Lang’s 1955 feature of the same name. “When I was a child I thought that this place was called Moonfleet, because on a still night, whether in summer, or in winter frosts, the moon shone very brightly on the lagoon; but learned afterwards that 'twas but short for 'Mohune-fleet', from the Mohunes, a great family who were once lords of all these parts.” Growing up in Moonfleet, young John Trenchard couldn’t help but hear the legends of the powerful Mohune family, whose ancestor Colonel Blackbeard is said to have stolen a diamond from King Charles I. An orphan, he is raised by his aunt, Miss Arnold, who tries to protect him from the violence and crime perpetuated by local smugglers. At church one Sunday, John hears noises from the crypt below and endeavors to return. The next day, he encounters two of his friends beside the church wall, and suspects they are searching for the ghost of Blackbeard. As he steps into a sinkhole in the graveyard, he finds himself in a tunnel leading to the crypt, where the telltale signs of smuggling reveal a shocking secret. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of J. Meade Falkner’s Moonfleet is a classic of English adventure fiction reimagined for modern readers.

J. Meade Falkner's short story The Lost Stradivarius explores ghosts and the potential evil that might be devoted to an item-in this case, an exceptionally excellent Stradivarius violin. This novel has been known as "one of Falkner's three renowned novels'' and as a "psychological romance." "The Lost Stradivarius'' (1895), a timeless tale about the paranormal power of spirits, is horrifying to the extreme. While practicing in his rooms at Oxford University, skilled violinist John Maltravers observed an unusual phenomenon: whenever a particular piece was played, a strange presence appeared to enter. Unable to explain this away, Maltravers build gradually unsettled, until he makes a staggering discovery-tucked away in a cupboard in his room is a valuable Stradivarius! Obsessed with this valuable treasure, he gradually withdraws, unaware that the evil holding this ideal violin is an initiation to take control of him. Wandering from Britain to Italy, the novel's story involves lordly depravity, family love, and the calamity of obsession, all transmitted in a "strong '' serious tone, not unusual in old-styled literature. Prior to M. R. James's ghost stories from various years were referred to as "novels," and James may have conceived and written novels.

Moonfleet (1898) is an adventure novel by J. Meade Falkner. Largely forgotten by today’s readers, Falkner was more widely known in his lifetime for his nonfiction works on history and topography as well as his role as chairman of a major arms manufacturer. Far from the amateur musings of a bored millionaire, Falkner’s writing shows a mastery of genre fiction while benefitting from his extensive geographical knowledge. Moonfleet has been adapted several times for radio, television, and film, most notably for Fritz Lang’s 1955 feature of the same name. “When I was a child I thought that this place was called Moonfleet, because on a still night, whether in summer, or in winter frosts, the moon shone very brightly on the lagoon; but learned afterwards that 'twas but short for 'Mohune-fleet', from the Mohunes, a great family who were once lords of all these parts.” Growing up in Moonfleet, young John Trenchard couldn’t help but hear the legends of the powerful Mohune family, whose ancestor Colonel Blackbeard is said to have stolen a diamond from King Charles I. An orphan, he is raised by his aunt, Miss Arnold, who tries to protect him from the violence and crime perpetuated by local smugglers. At church one Sunday, John hears noises from the crypt below and endeavors to return. The next day, he encounters two of his friends beside the church wall, and suspects they are searching for the ghost of Blackbeard. As he steps into a sinkhole in the graveyard, he finds himself in a tunnel leading to the crypt, where the telltale signs of smuggling reveal a shocking secret. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of J. Meade Falkner’s Moonfleet is a classic of English adventure fiction reimagined for modern readers.

Reproduction of the original: The Lost Stradivarius by J. Meade Falkner

First published in 1902, J. Meade Falkner's "The Nebuly Coat" is a vintage suspense novel that tells the story of Edward Westray, a young architect who finds himself in the remote town of Cullerne where he is to oversee restorative work on Cullerne Minster. After becoming embroiled in the day-to-day life of the town, he begins to hear rumours concerning the claim to the title of Lord Blandamer. When the new Lord Blandamer arrives, our protagonist has an inkling that he is perhaps not what he seems. John Meade Falkner (1858-1932) was an English novelist and poet, best known for his 1898 novel, "Moonfleet". As well as being an accomplished writer, Falkner was also a successful businessman, becoming chairman of the weapons manufacturer Armstrong Whitworth in the First World War.

This vintage book contains the complete novels of J. Meade Falkner including "Moonfleet", "The Lost Stradivarius", and "The Nebuly Coat". These fantastic novels will appeal to all fiction lovers and constitute must-reads for fans and collectors of Falkner's wonderful work. "Moonfleet" - The titillating tale of smuggling, treasure, and shipwreck set in 18th century England. ""The Lost Stradivarius"" - When a young wealthy man discovers a violin in a secret compartment of a college dorm, he becomes strangely reclusive and obsessed with a mysterious piece of music, roaming throughout England and Italy haunted by the ghost of the violin's previous owner. "The Nebuly Coat" - A suspense novel that tells the story of Edward Westray, a young architect overseeing the restoration of Cullerne Minister. He finds himself caught up in Cullerne life, and hears rumours about a mystery surrounding the claim to the title of Lord Blandamer. John Meade Falkner (1858-1932) was an English novelist and poet best known for his 1898 novel, "Moonfleet". As well as being an accomplished writer, Falkner was also a successful businessman, becoming chairman of the weapons manufacturer Armstrong Whitworth in the First World War.

First published in 1898, "Moonfleet" is an adventure novel written by English writer J. Meade Falkner. A titillating tale of smuggling, treasure, and shipwreck set in 18th century England, this swashbuckling story of high-sea escapades offers excitement and page-turning travails for all ages. John Meade Falkner (1858-1932) was an English novelist and poet, best known for writing this novel. As well as being an accomplished writer, Falkner was also a successful businessman, becoming chairman of the weapons manufacturer Armstrong Whitworth in the First World War. Other notable works by this author include: "The Lost Stradivarius" (1895), and "The Nebuly Coat" (1903). Read & Co. is now republishing this classic work in a new edition complete with a specially commissioned new biography of the author.

Set in the mid-nineteenth century, The Nebuly Coat is the story of a young architect, Edward Westray, who is sent to the remote Dorset town of Cullerne to oversee restoration work on crumbling Cullerne Minster. As he becomes caught up in the lives of the townspeople, he hears rumours about a disputed claim to the title of Lord Blandamer, whose coat of arms in the Minster's great transept window is the 'nebuly coat' of the title. When the new Lord Blandamer arrives, promising to pay all the costs of the restoration, Westray's suspicions are aroused. Plagued by fears and premonitions of the imminent collapse of the Minster tower, and shaken by the sudden violent death of Sharnall, the organist, Westray is drawn ever deeper into danger as the secrets behind the 'sea-green and silver' nebuly coat unravel

Moonfleet by J. Meade Falkner. A smuggling adventure. Moonfleet is a tale of smuggling, royal treasure and shipwreck by the English novelist J. Meade Falkner, first published in 1898. In 1757, Moonfleet is a small village near the sea in the south of England. It gets its name from a formerly prominent local family, the Mohunes, whose coat of arms includes a symbol shaped like a capital 'Y'. John Trenchard is an orphan who lives with his aunt, Miss Arnold. Other notable residents are the sexton Mr Ratsey, who is friendly to John; Parson Glennie, the local clergyman who also teaches in the village school; Elzevir Block, the landlord of the local inn, called the Mohune Arms but nicknamed the Why Not? because of its sign with the Mohune 'Y'; and Mr Maskew, the unpopular local magistrate and his beautiful daughter, Grace. Village legend tells of the notorious Colonel John "Blackbeard" Mohune who is buried in the family crypt under the church. He is reputed to have stolen a diamond from King Charles I and hidden it. His ghost is said to wander at night looking for it and the mysterious lights in the churchyard are attributed to his activities.

The novel is set in a fishing village in Dorset during the mid 18th century. The story concerns a 15 year old orphan boy, John Trenchard, who becomes friends with an older man who turns out to be the leader of a gang of smugglers. A much-loved classic story about a boy's adventures among smugglers and thieves as he endeavours to discover the whereabouts of the treasure hidden by the legendary pirate Blackbeard. We are delighted to publish this classic book as part of our extensive Classic Library collection. Many of the books in our collection have been out of print for decades, and therefore have not been accessible to the general public. The aim of our publishing program is to facilitate rapid access to this vast reservoir of literature, and our view is that this is a significant literary work, which deserves to be brought back into print after many decades. The contents of the vast majority of titles in the Classic Library have been scanned from the original works. To ensure a high quality product, each title has been meticulously hand curated by our staff. Our philosophy has been guided by a desire to provide the reader with a book that is as close as possible to ownership of the original work. We hope that you will enjoy this wonderful classic work, and that for you it becomes an enriching experience

The Lost Stradivarius (1895), by J. Meade Falkner, is a short novel of ghosts and the evil that can be invested in an object, in this case an extremely fine Stradivarius violin. After finding the violin of the title in a hidden compartment in his college rooms, the protagonist, a wealthy young heir, becomes increasingly secretive as well as obsessed by a particular piece of music, which seems to have the power to call up the ghost of the violin's previous owner. Roaming from England to Italy, the story involves family love, lordly depravity, and the tragedy of obsession, all conveyed in a "high" serious tone not uncommon in late Victorian literature. Preceding M. R. James's ghost stories by several years, it has been called the novel James might have written, had he written novels.................. John Meade Falkner (8 May 1858 - 22 July 1932) was an English novelist and poet, best known for his 1898 novel, Moonfleet. An extremely successful businessman as well, he became chairman of the arms manufacturer Armstrong Whitworth during World War I. Life and works: Falkner was born in Manningford Bruce, Wiltshire, and spent much of his childhood in Dorchester and Weymouth. He was educated at Marlborough College and Hertford College, Oxford, graduating with a degree in history in 1882. After Oxford, he was a master at Derby School, then went to Newcastle as tutor to the family of Sir Andrew Noble, who ran Armstrong Whitworth Co., one of the largest arms manufacturers in the world. Falkner eventually followed him as chairman in 1915. In his business travels round the world, Falkner brought back antiquarian treasures of all kinds. After his retirement as chairman in 1921 he became Honorary Reader in paleography at the University of Durham, as well as Honorary Librarian to the Dean and Chapter Library of Durham Cathedral. Falkner fell in love with Durham and, although he spent his later years travelling frequently, he called Durham his home, living in the Divinity House (now the University Music School) on Palace Green in front of the cathedral from 1902 until his death. There is a commemorative plaque there, while his monument is in the south cloister of the cathedral. In addition to his three novels and his poetry, he also wrote three topographical guides (Oxfordshire, Bath and Berkshire) and a History of Oxfordshire.......................

The Nebuly Coat (1903), by J. Meade Falkner, is a suspense novel which tells of the experiences of a young architect, Edward Westray, who is sent to the remote town of Cullerne to supervise restoration work on Cullerne Minster. He finds himself caught up in Cullerne life, and hears rumours about a mystery surrounding the claim to the title of Lord Blandamer, whose coat of arms in the Minster's great transept window is the nebuly coat of the title. When the new Lord Blandamer arrives, promising to pay all the costs of the restoration, Westray suspects that the new lord is not what he seems. The Nebuly Coat includes elements that were central interests in Falkner's life, church architecture and heraldry. The massive Romanesque arches of Cullerne Minster recall those of Durham Cathedral which Falkner was familiar with through his work as Honorary Librarian to the Dean and Chapter as well as viewing it from his house on Palace Green........ John Meade Falkner (8 May 1858 - 22 July 1932) was an English novelist and poet, best known for his 1898 novel, Moonfleet. An extremely successful businessman as well, he became chairman of the arms manufacturer Armstrong Whitworth during World War I. Life and works: Falkner was born in Manningford Bruce, Wiltshire, and spent much of his childhood in Dorchester and Weymouth. He was educated at Marlborough College and Hertford College, Oxford, graduating with a degree in history in 1882. After Oxford, he was a master at Derby School, then went to Newcastle as tutor to the family of Sir Andrew Noble, who ran Armstrong Whitworth Co., one of the largest arms manufacturers in the world. Falkner eventually followed him as chairman in 1915. In his business travels round the world, Falkner brought back antiquarian treasures of all kinds. After his retirement as chairman in 1921 he became Honorary Reader in paleography at the University of Durham, as well as Honorary Librarian to the Dean and Chapter Library of Durham Cathedral. Falkner fell in love with Durham and, although he spent his later years travelling frequently, he called Durham his home, living in the Divinity House (now the University Music School) on Palace Green in front of the cathedral from 1902 until his death. There is a commemorative plaque there, while his monument is in the south cloister of the cathedral. In addition to his three novels and his poetry, he also wrote three topographical guides (Oxfordshire, Bath and Berkshire) and a History of Oxfordshire..................

Everyone in the tiny village of Moonfleet lives by the sea one way or another, so it's no surprise when young John Trenchard gets involved in the smuggling trade. Forced to flee England with a price on his head, John little guesses the adventures and trials he will have before he sees Moonfleet again or the change in his fortunes when he does.