F. Marion Crawford
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Francis Marion Crawford (1854 - 1909) was the son of the famous American sculptor Thomas Crawford. His mother, Louise Ward, was a sister of Julia Ward Howe, who wrote the words to the Battle Hymn of the Republic. Both his parents belonged to prominent Boston families, buth chose to live in Italy.
FMC was born and grew up in Italy, setting of many of his books. He attended St Paul's School in NH, Harvard, Heidelberg University in Germany, and the University of Rome, in his native Italy. He was cultured, cosmopolitan, widely travelled and rich. Much to the horror of his Boston relations, he became a Roman Catholic.
Beginning with his novel Mr Isaacs (1882), a big success, he produced some forty books: while it was running through the press Crawford began a more carefully composed novel, "Dr. Claudius" (1883), which more than repeated the success of "Mr. Isaacs". His third novel, "A Roman Singer", ran serially in the "Atlantic Monthly" and was published in 1884. It was this third novel which opened out to Crawford his true field, the description of Italian life and character with its many cosmopolitan, and especially its American and English, affiliations. He was the author of some forty novels and one play, "Francesca da Rimini", and his publications commanded a larger sale than those of any contemporary writer of fiction in England or in the United States: "Zoroaster" (1885); "A Tale of a Lonely Parish" (1886); "Saracinesca" (1887); "Marzio's Crucifix" (1887); "Paul Patoff" (1887); "Greifenstein" (1889); "Sant' Ilario" (1889); "A Cigarette Maker's Romance" (1890); "The Witch of Prague" (1891); "Don Orsino" (1892); "Pietro Ghisleri" (1893); "The Ralstons" (1895); "Corleone" (1897); "Via Crucis" (1899); "In the Palace of the King" (1900); "Marietta, A Maid of Venice" (1901); "The Heart of Rome" (1903); "Whosoever Shall Offend" (1904); "Soprano, A Portrait" (1905); "Fair Margaret" (1905); "The Primadonna" (1907); and "The Diva's Ruby" (1908).
Crawford did not confine his attention to fiction. History, biography, and description are represented in his: "Constantinople" (1895); "Ave, Roma Immortalis" (1898); "The Rulers of the South" (1900) -- renamed "Sicily, Calabria and Malta" (1904); "The Life of Pope Leo XIII" (1904); and "Gleanings From Venetian History" (1905).
In 1904 he published an essay entitled "The Novel: What it is", in which he gives his views upon the art of which he was a master.
He was unquestionably America's most successful and widely read Victorian writer. His early death, and the marked change in tastes following World War I, meant that he was more or less forgotten after 1920 or so. American letters in the XX Century were dominated by left-wing ethnic modernists, interested in the "wretched refuse of the teaming shore". They had no use for this genteel brahmin, with his polished tales of Upper Class American expatriates in Venice and Constantinople, his romantic religious interests, his princely villa in Sorrento (near Naples, where he died.)
I think his time is near. Tastes are changing again. His rediscovery will be resounding. The value of his first editions will then shoot up, of course.
Contributed by Aulicexclusiva AT hotmail.com
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This article was written by Knowledgerush staff or contributed by users. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.
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F. Marion was one of the most famous authors in the English-speaking world at the time of his death in 1909. He wrote over forty novels. Many of them were the types of disposable romances popular at the time, but he also wrote some stories of the horror and occult. These are generally the ones for which he is now remembered.
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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "F. Marion Crawford".
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If you know facts or have questions about this author post them here.
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I have a collection of 26 books by F. Marion Crawford. I picked the set up at a library sale when I moved into a house with too many book shelves for me to fill.
The books range from 300-400 pages with titles that include Mr. Issacs, Love In Idleness, Cecilia, Casa Braccio and Marzio's Crucifix.
Many of the books are signed by the owner, Dr. C.W. Schacht and dated July 30th, 1806.
I know nothing of F. Marion Crawford.
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Hi, I have a 32 volume set of F. Marion Crawfords' works. Do you have any idea what they might be worth as a collection? They are all in good condition, cloth bound, copyright on one book 1900. They are signed by the owners. Thanks for any info, schae
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I inherited a collection of about 25 books by F. Marion Crawford and a printing date of 1884................Is this collection woth something>>>Please let me know whom I could e mail with about this.
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Francis Marion Crawford (1854-1909) was the son of the famous American sculptor Thomas Crawford. His mother, Louise Ward, was a sister of Julia Ward Howe, who wrote the words to the Battle Hymn of the Republic. Both his parents belonged to prominent Boston families, buth chose to live in Italy.
FMC was born and grew up in Italy, setting of many of his books. He attended St Paul's School in NH, Harvard, Heidelberg University in Germany, and the University of Rome, in his native Italy. He was cultured, cosmopolitan, widely travelled and rich. Much to the horror of his Boston relations, he became a Roman Catholic.
Beginning with his novel Mr Isaacs (1882), a big success, he produced some forty books: while it was running through the press Crawford began a more carefully composed novel, "Dr. Claudius" (1883), which more than repeated the success of "Mr. Isaacs". His third novel, "A Roman Singer", ran serially in the "Atlantic Monthly" and was published in 1884. It was this third novel which opened out to Crawford his true field, the description of Italian life and character with its many cosmopolitan, and especially its American and English, affiliations. He was the author of some forty novels and one play, "Francesca da Rimini", and his publications commanded a larger sale than those of any contemporary writer of fiction in England or in the United States: "Zoroaster" (1885); "A Tale of a Lonely Parish" (1886); "Saracinesca" (1887); "Marzio's Crucifix" (1887); "Paul Patoff" (1887); "Greifenstein" (1889); "Sant' Ilario" (1889); "A Cigarette Maker's Romance" (1890); "The Witch of Prague" (1891); "Don Orsino" (1892); "Pietro Ghisleri" (1893); "The Ralstons" (1895); "Corleone" (1897); "Via Crucis" (1899); "In the Palace of the King" (1900); "Marietta, A Maid of Venice" (1901); "The Heart of Rome" (1903); "Whosoever Shall Offend" (1904); "Soprano, A Portrait" (1905); "Fair Margaret" (1905); "The Primadonna" (1907); and "The Diva's Ruby" (1908).
Crawford did not confine his attention to fiction. History, biography, and description are represented in his: "Constantinople" (1895); "Ave, Roma Immortalis" (1898); "The Rulers of the South" (1900) -- renamed "Sicily, Calabria and Malta" (1904); "The Life of Pope Leo XIII" (1904); and "Gleanings From Venetian History" (1905).
In 1904 he published an essay entitled "The Novel: What it is", in which he gives his views upon the art of which he was a master.
He was unquestionably America's most successful and widely read Victorian writer. His early death, and the marked change in tastes following World War I, meant that he was more or less forgotten after 1920 or so. American letters in the XX Century were dominated by left-wing ethnic modernists, interested in the "wretched refuse of the teaming shore". They had no use for this genteel brahmin, with his polished tales of Upper Class American expatriates in Venice and Constantinople, his romantic religious interests, his princely villa in Sorrento (near Naples, where he died.)
I think his time is near. Tastes are changing again. His rediscovery will be resounding. The value of his first editions will then shoot up, of course.
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I recently purchased a book by F. Marion Crawford. Title of the book is Diva's Ruby printed in 1919 by the Macmillan Company in New York.
Hardcover and fair condition. Diva's Ruby is a sequel to 'Primadonna" and "Fair Margaret". Can anyone give me some information regarding this book and its worth. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
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I too have a 32 volume set of works by F. Marion Crawford which are in my parents' house . Does anyone have an idea of value? They are hardbacks and in fine condition.
Thanks
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plese write me your e-mail edress
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I have all but two novels by FMC. I got hooked on this good reading about 60 years ago. Now that I have some duplicate books, I will be sharing them with others. I am glad they are being reprinted. I recently got a copy of "A Cigarette Maker's Romance" which is small in size (5x7) and has a blue swastika imprinted on the front, obviously the same embossing as the spine (title, author, and publisher) and trim. Can anyone give me information about the uniqueness of this edition? It was printed at the publishers in Great Britain, Thos. Nelson Publ. London, Edinburgh and New York. My guess it was printed in the 1930's.
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Are old books by F. Marion Crawford valuable?
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Does anyone have a photo of his gravesite in Sant'Agnello di Sorrento? The gravemarker is said to feature a reduced-scale version of his father Thomas Crawford's sculpture, Peri at the Gates of Paradise.
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I have uncovered a full 25 volumes authorized edition with frontispice. These hardcover books are in perfect condition. These are the novels of F. Marion Crawford. Can you tell me if they have much value.
Thank you, Janice Roberts
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I have recently attained a copy of F. Marion Crawford's novel Stradella. I always research the story line of older novels before I start them. In this case I can not find this novel on any list of his works. The copy I have was published in 1909, the year of his death, so it was actually released for publishing before his death. I have not come up on this situation before and I am curious why this particular novel is being overlooked.
Thanks,
Gene Redden
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i cannot find info. on a book"an american politician" by f.marion crawford -publisher houghton,mufflin co. print the riverside press cambridge 1885--to my dear friend (elizabeth christophers hobson ) in gratitude and affection, i dedicate this story.---constantinople october,7,1884. also on the front page inscribed " john l, reade " 52 west 26TH street, new york, --n. y. i hope you can find info. thanks much ====the rainman ====
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