And Five Were Foolish

And Five Were Foolish is a 1924 collection of short stories by the English author Dornford Yates (Cecil William Mercer), first published in The Windsor Magazine.[2]

And Five Were Foolish

1943 dustjacket
Author	Dornford Yates
Genre	Novel
Publisher	Ward Lock & Co[1]
Publication date	1924[1]
Media type	Print
Pages	311[1]

Plot

The book consists of ten short stories, several of which were inspired by incidents and places known to Mercer.[3] The title of each is the name of a significant female character.[4]

Background

The stories were written for The Windsor Magazine, whose readers had been clamouring for more.[4]

Chapters

Chapter	Book Title	Windsor Title	Date	Volume	Issue	Pages	Illustrator
I	Sarah	False Pretences	November 1922	LVI	335	591-684	Henry Coller
II	Madeleine	Fine Linen	October 1922	LVI	334	463-473	E G Oakdale
III	Katharine	Three's Company	October 1923	LVIII	346	493-506	Norah Schlegel
IV	Spring	Groom Of The Chambers	November 1923	LVIII	347	587-600	Norah Schlegel
V	Elizabeth	A Drink Divine	December 1923	LIX	348	3-14	Norah Schlegel
VI	Jo	Private Papers	January 1924	LIX	349	115-127	Norah Schlegel
VII	Athalia	A Fool's Errand	February 1924	LIX	350	233-246	Norah Schlegel
VIII	Ann	Mesalliance	April 1924	LIX	352	505-523	Norah Schlegel
IX	Eleanor	A Private Scandal	March 1924	LIX	351	347-359	Norah Schlegel
X	Susan	Noblesse Oblige	May 1924	LIX	353	573-578	Norah Schlegel

Critical reception

The collected volume was a significant success, and was reprinted seven times before the coming of war in 1939.[5]

The original dustjacket had the following quote -

• Daily Telegraph - "The reader may decide for himself which five of Mr. Dornford Yates's virgins were foolish. Opinions will probably vary, and perhaps not one of the host of readers which the book deserves will compile a list tallying exactly with that which the author has drawn up in his own mind. But there will at least be unanimity on the point that here are ten extraordinary powerful and intriguing stories."

References

1. "British Library Item details". primocat.bl.uk. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
2. Smithers 1982, p. 103.
3. Smithers 1982, pp. 118-125.
4. Smithers 1982, p. 118.
5. Smithers 1982, p. 122.

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.