Three Times a Woman, Grushenka, anonymous [possibly Val Lewton?], illus. “a young Russian residing in Paris, who unfortunately must remain anonymous” (Privately Printed, London [New York], 1933)
9″ X 7″, 252pp, hardbound no DJ, red boards with gilt title on cover and spine, good condition, minor wear and bumping.
Title page reads: “The Story of a Russian Serf Girl Compiled from Contemporary Documents in the Russian Police Files and Private Archives of Russian Libraries” Originally published at New York in 1933 with a false Paris imprint. Val Lewton, the supposed author, was a well known film producer, responsible for a series of good low-budget horror movies in the 1940’s by such directors as Robert Wise, Mark Robson and Jacques Tourneur. The book purports to be a flaggelation story written by a Russian living in Paris and then translated to english. The story takes place c. 1728, “shortly after the death of Peter the Great”. The main character is Grushenka Pavlovsk. This edition is complete with very explicit illustrations.