The Stolen March

The Stolen March is a 1926 fantasy novel by the English author Dornford Yates (Cecil William Mercer), first serialised in The Windsor Magazine.

The Stolen March
1930 dustjacket
AuthorDornford Yates
GenreNovel
PublisherWard Lock & Co[1]
Publication date
1926[1]
Media typePrint
Pages319[1]

Plot

The novel starts credibly enough, with the return of Simon and Patricia Beaulieu, (previously seen in "Simon", one of the stories in As Other Men Are, 1925). Simon falls ill, and on medical advice the couple take a relaxed caravan holiday, being driving down through France to the fictional country of Etchechuria, lying in the Pyrenees between France and Spain. En route they are joined by Eulalie (previously seen in chapter VIII of Jonah & Co, 1922) and Pomfret Tudor. There, fantastic things start to happen: they are addressed by a mule speaking English, and find themselves in a land peopled by animated illustrations and nursery rhyme characters. The tone becomes darker, and some of the characters start to develop murderous intent.

Background

Mercer himself loved the book, but recognised that many readers did not, including the editor of The Windsor Magazine.[2] The novel would probably not have been accepted for serialisation had the editor realised at the start where the opening situation would ultimately lead.[3]

Chapters
Chapter Book Title Windsor Title Date Volume Issue Pages Illustrator
I The Open Road The Paying Of Paul August 1925 LXII 368 241-255 Norah Schlegel
II Enter Pomfret The Rule Of Three September 1925 LXII 369 361-375 Norah Schlegel
III Blind Country The Way Of A Man With A Mule October 1925 LXII 370 479-492 Norah Schlegel
IV Love Among The Mountains On Velvet November 1925 LXII 371 589-602 Norah Schlegel
V Blood Royal All On A Summer's Day December 1925 LXIII 372 59-76 Norah Schlegel
VI Publican And Sinner Up To Date January 1926 LXIII 373 180-195 Norah Schlegel
VII The Cloven Hoof The Short Lane February 1926 LXIII 374 275-291 Norah Schlegel
VIII Gathering Clouds The Peck Of Pepper March 1926 LXIII 375 405-419 Norah Schlegel
IX King, Queen And Knave Le Roy Le Veut April 1926 LXIII 376 540-554 Norah Schlegel
X Hue And Cry Le Roy Le Veut/The Last Jest April-May 1926 LXIII 376-377 554-560 & 649-655 Norah Schlegel
XI Dolores The Last Jest May 1926 LXIII 377 655-667 Norah Schlegel

Critical reception

Mercer’s autobiographer AJ Smithers, writing in 1982, considered that this book contains some of the author’s best pastoral writing, and that some of it is very funny indeed.[2]

Sequel

Mercer reported that he had "had a great many requests that I should turn again to Etchechuria" and had begun writing a book entitled The Tempered Wind which had reached fifty-one pages when his "subconscious brain stopped dead" and he eventually abandoned the project. [4]

References
  1. "British Library Item details". primocat.bl.uk. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  2. Smithers 1982, p. 128.
  3. Smithers 1982, p. 126.
  4. Yates, Dornford (1958). B-Berry and I Look Back. London: Ward Lock & Co. page 278.

Bibliography
  • Smithers, AJ (1982). Dornford Yates. London: Hodder and Stoughton. ISBN 0 340 27547 2.
  • Usborne, Richard (1974). Clubland Heroes. London: Barrie & Jenkins. ISBN 0 214 20012 4.
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