Fer-de-Lance printing errors

S.G. Wolfram AKA May Hawthorne has pointed out a rather glaring printing error, that seems to run through the entire Bantam line of Fer-de-Lance printings on the Wolfe Email List. Problem is around the middle of Chapter 5. Page and line number information for selected printings can be found in the email reproduced below.

Thanks for pointing this out May!

Incorrect line is:
That started an argument inside a golf club so that when the inset on the face anyhow, X proceeded to use the club for its calculated purpose, putting it in Barstow’s bag ( it had of course been made identical in appearance with Barstow’s own driver).

Correct line is as follows:
That started an argument, and perhaps Maffei agreed to go on the next boat; anyway X proceeded to use the club for its calculated purpose, putting it in Barstow’s bag ( it had of course been made identical in appearance with Barstow’s own driver).

Below is the pertinent information from the emails. Top section is what I just sent about the printings I have.

————————-
Just checked the five different printings I have and two are correct (both Pyramid) and three are wrong (all Bantam).

Pyramid Edition Third printing July 1968 (page 43 starting on line 8), and Eleventh printing November 1976 (page 43 starting on line 8), are both correct.

Bantam Edition First printing March 1983 (page 41 starting on line 26) , and as you have previously stated, the 50th Edition, though I have a Second printing November 1984 (page 41 starting on line 26), and the Bantam Crime Line Edition Ninth printing sometime after February 1992 (page 59 starting on line 10) all have the printing error.

Looks like Bantam needed a better proof reader…

Thanks for pointing this error out!
Dave
AKA Albert Freyer

On Fri, Sep 5, 2008 at 10:57 AM, S.G. Wolfram
wrote:
> I have discovered that Bantam has perpetuated an old, rather major typo, in
> the new two-in-one edition. Chapter 5, page 59, about the tenth line down,
> it has,
>
> That started an argument inside a golf club so that when the
> inset on the face anyhow, X preceeded to use the club for its
> calculated purpose, putting it in Barstow’s bag. . . ”
>
> A line from earlier on has been dropped into the text here.
>
> My 50th anniversary edition from 1984 has the same error (page 41, middle of
> the second paragraph). In nearly 25 years Bantam can’t find this and correct
> it for its attractive new edition? Anyway, fortunately I still have this
> from our 2003 discussion of FDL:
>
>> My 1983 Bantam edition has the same flaws but my 1934 Junior Book Club
>> edition reads:
>>
>> “…Maffei decided not to go back home after all. That started an
>> argument, and perhaps Maffei agreed to go on the next boat; anyway X
>> proceeded to use the club…”
>>
>> Book club editions do have some value! LOL
>>
>> Celia Grantham
>>
> —
> May Hawthorne–SGW in Denver

September Morn

Fer-De-Lance – Bantam paperback – 1983 printing – beginning of chapter 3 – pages 17-18

Fritz slept up above, across the hall from the plant rooms; my room was on the second floor, the same floor as Wolfe’s, a fair-sized room in front with its own bath and a pair of windows.

… further down the page where Archie is describing his pictures …

Also there was a colored one called September Morn, of a young woman apparently with no clothes on and her hair hanging down in front, but that was in the bathroom.

September Morn

In the above picture I don’t see hair hanging down in front of anything, so I wonder if Rex Stout had actually seen this painting or if he was going by hearsay or some newspaper report about it. Anyone have any information about this? Just curious.

The REAL Tom Green – Nero Wolfe – Fer De Lance

*** Update 4/14/2008 – Site appears to be down.

The REAL Tom Green – Nero Wolfe – Fer De Lance

A somewhat unfinished page on Fer-De-Lance. Includes Cast of characters.

Again, well worth a look. Hope he continues.