Venus In Scorpio
Constantine, Murray and Goldsmith, Margaret
£160.00
Venus In Scorpio
A Romance of Versailles, 1770-1793
By Murray Constantine and Margaret Goldsmith
John Lane The Bodley Head, London, 1940. 1st Edition. Hardback without dust jacket. Blue boards with pink titles to the spine. Approx 22cm H x 15cm W. 443pp + 4 pages of adverts. Scarce publication.
Book condition: Used. Very Good. Light spotting to the top outer page edges. Minor rubbing to the extremities & titles; Corners a little turned/bumped; No splits. Inside is clean, bright and tight; Few or no marks within; No tears or annotations. Overall Condition: Very Good
Murray Constantine (1896-1963) was a pseudonym for the feminist writer Katharine Burdekin (née Cade). Burdekin began using the pseudonym Murray Constantine in 1934 allegedly to protect her family from the risk of repercussions and attacks. Several of her novels, political in nature and strongly critical of fascism, have been described as feminist utopian/dystopian fiction. Murray Constantine's true identity was not confirmed until two decades after her death. Her historical novel Venus In Scorpio – A Romance of Versailles, 1770-1793 was co-authored with her friend Margaret Goldsmith.
Margaret Goldsmith (1894-1971) was an American journalist, historical novelist and translator. A close friend of Katharine Burdekin, she helped her during her depression in 1938 by providing Katherine with research notes on Marie Antoinette. The collaborative outcome was a historical novel, Venus in Scorpio – A Romance Of Versailles, 1770-1793 co-authored by Goldsmith and Burdekin (as 'Murray Constantine').