"Kai Lung's Golden Hours is a fantasy novel by English writer Ernest Bramah. It was first published in hardcover in London by Grant Richards Ltd. in October, 1922, and there have been numerous editions since. The first edition included a preface by Hilaire Belloc, which has also been a feature of every edition since. It was reissued by Ballantine Books as the forty-fifth volume of the Ballantine Adult Fantasy series in April, 1972. The Ballantine edition includes an introduction by Lin Carter.
"As with other Kai Lung novels, the main plot serves primarily as a vehicle for the presentation of the gem-like, aphorism-laden stories told by the protagonist Kai Lung, an itinerant story-teller of ancient China. In Kai Lung's Golden Hours he is brought before the court of the Mandarin Shan Tien on charges of treason by the Mandarin's confidential agent Ming-shu. In a unique defense, Kai Lung recites his beguiling tales to the Mandarin, successfully postponing his conviction time after time until he is finally set free. In the process he attains the love and hand of the maiden Hwa-Mei." - Wikipedia.
This edition by Dover (2009), as you can see, had a rather crude cover, that never really appealed to me. Perhaps if I had realized it had a preface by Hilaire Belloc, I would have given it more of a chance before selling it. I have since got a sequel in the Ballantine edition, Kai Lung Unrolls His Mat. If I could find Golden Hours in the Ballantine edition for a reasonable sum, I would probably buy it again. And give it more of a fair chance. Although I have come to prefer authentic Chinese tales to Western pastiche.
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