These are all Fawcett Crest paperbacks from the 1960s (not '70s as I'd thought). Unfortunately, I couldn't locate my copies of
Green Darkness,
My Theodosia, and
The Turquoise. I'd purchased all of these copies from a hole-in-the-wall used bookstore called The Printer's Devil that used to be located in Meriden, Connecticut. It was run by a red-haired woman who was a mad soap-opera watcher, because that's what she'd be doing whenever my dad and I would stop by. I bought many older historical novels there when I was in high school, and it was a sad day when it went out of business.
Anyway, this is what the older paperback covers of Seton's look like. I think most of them aren't bad, though some are designed to appear like romances when, according to today's definition, they are not. How many authors these days set epic novels in places as diverse as colonial Connecticut, 10th century Iceland, 14th century England, 1720s England and Virginia? And how many publishers would be as accepting of authors' desire to change the historical setting with each new book, if the authors wanted to?
You're right, these aren't bad. The one for THE WINTHROP WOMAN I actually remember seeing years ago.
ReplyDeleteAnd speaking of interesting covers, have you seen the one for the companion book to Showtime's THE TUDORS series yet? You'd appreciate it, I think--it shows 3 headless women standing behind the enthroned actor playing Henry VIII! The title says it all: THE TUDORS: IT'S SO GOOD TO BE KING.
With some of those romance-y covers, it's amazing that anyone had the courage to buy historical fiction in the 1960's and 1970's.
ReplyDeleteI remember all these covers! Anya Seton was one of my favorite authors. I recently reread GREEN DARKNESS. It was still a good read, although much more appealing to a dreamy teenager than a forty-something housewife!
ReplyDeleteSeeing those old covers sure brought back a lot of memories.
Julianne
That is some cover for The Tudors! Too bad we don't subscribe to Showtime, that one looks... interesting.
ReplyDeleteI remember reading Green Darkness as a teenager - I enjoyed it a lot, despite the grimness (hard to avoid!) and the fact that some characters weren't all that likable.
I like the Dragonwyck and Devil Water covers, but the others leave me cold. Still, I'm sure we had a couple of these knocking round the house when I was young - they look familiar!
ReplyDeleteI remember all those covers very well. I liked the "Avalon" one, actually. At the time I did, anyway.
ReplyDeleteI remember the cover for Katherine - the reat of them look like a lot of other novel covers during that era!
ReplyDeleteI liked the first cover of Green Darkness. The illustration and the title compelled me to buy the book (hardcover). I still have my copy, but the cover is torn and part of it lost. I would like to see that cover again. It was by George Chrichard.
ReplyDeleteI am researching worldwide the surname C(h)ri(t)chard and would love to know more about George Chrichard. Any idea where I can find out?
ReplyDeletePamela
My husband's grand fathers brother was george chrichard.
ReplyDeleteMy late Father worked at the same publishers as George Chritchard (who illustrated 'Green Darkness'). My Father advised that during those pre-computer days the Illustrator painted the book cover designs. It was also not uncommon for more than one design to be produced from which a final book cover design was chosen. The publishers - Hodder and Stoughton were then based in Camberwell South London UK before moving to Sevenoaks Kent UK in the 1970's.
ReplyDelete