Quote:
Originally Posted by BookCat
I've been looking for a free PD edition of Alexander Dumas The Pale Lady, but can't find one. As he died well over 70 years ago, I was wondering if there's a reason why this is not in the public domain; the translation, maybe.
Just out of curiosity, can anyone shine any light on this matter?
Thanks.
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I think that's because the work now published as a novelette under the title
The Pale Lady originally formed the chapters from 12 onwards of the larger Dumas "collection"
A Thousand and One Ghosts.
The Scheherazade-type book is available here in a German version but not an English one (unless I've missed it). The full french text in a nice format is available free from the Canadian website
www.bibebook.com.
The English translation of
The Pale Lady (there's a Kobo books preview) starts thus:
Chapter 1
Among the Carpathians
I am a Pole by birth, a native of Sandomir, a land where legends become articles of faith, and where we believe in our family traditions as firmly as in the Gospel – perhaps more firmly. Not one of our castles but has its spectre, not one of our cottages but owns its familiar spirit.
The French text of Chapter 12 of
A Thousand and One Ghosts starts:
Chapitre 12
Les monts Carpathes
Je suis Polonaise, née à Sandomir, c’est-à-dire dans un pays où les légendes deviennent des articles de foi, où nous croyons à nos traditions de famille autant, plus peut-être qu’à l’Évangile. Pas un de nos châteaux qui n’ait son spectre, pas une de nos chaumières qui n’ait son esprit familier.
I hope this is some help.
[Edit] I think the larger Dumas book also appeared in English under the title
Horror at Fontenay - you might try looking for that instead.