LE CARRE, John Call for the Dead London: Victor Gollancz Ltd., 1961.
8vo., original publisher's red cloth, lettered in gilt to spine with author and publisher's name, as well as title; in the original unclipped and unrestored vibrant yellow publisher's dust jacket (13/6 net), printed in pink and black to upper panel, and in black to spine, with publisher's device to foot; pp. [vi], 7-192; previous owner's signature to ffep, wrapper with chipping to top edge, nick to head of spine and browning to fore-edge of front panel, very good.
First edition, second impression of the author's debut novel, signed by Le Carre to title page, with ALS and compliment slip from him. On headed notepaper, date 'Cornwall/16 June '00/ - foul fog + cold'. The letter gives an interesting insight into the market for modern first editions: "here are the books, duly signed. I haven't dedicated them to you because, oddly enough, booksellers tell me they're worth more just plain!" The letter is addressed to a Nigel W.
In part the type of spy thriller for which he was famous, in part detective fiction, Call for the Dead was Le Carre's first novel, and introduces the the shrewd but self-effacing character of intelligence agent George Smiley. The protagonist went on to feature in the novels A Murder of Quality, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Honourable Schoolboy, and Smiley's People, as well as appearing as a supporting character in The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, The Looking Glass War, The Secret Pilgrim and A Legacy of Spies.
The novel was written while Le Carre was working as member of the British foreign service in West Germany. It is said that the author created Smiley as an intentional foil to James Bond, whom he believed showed an inaccurate and damaging version of espionage life. As opposed to the suave, confident character which Fleming created, Smiley is short, overweight, balding, and bespectacled, with a polite character which frequently allows others to mistreat him, including his serially unfaithful wife. It is exactly these traits which mask his inner cunning, excellent memory, mastery of tradecraft, and occasional ruthlessness.
Five years after publication, the film adaptation, The Deadly Affair, was released. Directed by Sidney Lumet, it starred James Mason as Charles Dobbs, (Le Carré had sold the rights to use the name 'George Smiley' to The Spy Who Came in from the Cold), Harry Andrews, Simone Signoret and Maximilian Schell.
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