GREENE | Babbling April, 1925, presentation copy, together with two ALS

GREENE, GRAHAM

Babbling April. Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1925

8vo, FIRST EDITION [one of 300 copies], PRESENTATION COPY OF THE AUTHOR'S FIRST BOOK INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR TO HIS FIRST LOVE ("From Graham Greene | to G.M.S. | to whom the little that is good here | belongs by right"), original grey boards lettered in blue, collector's folding box, some browning and spotting, recased with new spine

Many of the poems in Babbling April were inspired by Gwen Spencer (née Howell). Greene later wrote in his diary that he had loved her "with such unreasoning passion". His disappointment led to his flirtation with Russian roulette and, as stated by Norman Sherry, "Graham's experience of first love is surely reflected in The Ministry of Fear".

Also included are TWO AUTOGRAPH LETTERS SIGNED ("Graham Greene"). One to Gwen Spencer apologises for being "a pest... to you in 1924..." and disagrees with the recipient's opinion of The Heart of the Matter stating "...in fact I'm not very fond of it... try The End of the Affair. I like it better except the last 50 pages..." (2 pages, 5 St James's Street, London, 15 April [1953]) and also one to Conway Spencer on the death of his wife and noting "...I ought to warn you that that book of rather juvenile verse now fetches more than £200 at Sotheby's and your association copy is probably worth more than that..." (2 pages, La Résidence des Fleurs, Antibes, 23 January [c.1980])

LITERATURE:

Wobbe A1

PROVENANCE:

Gwen Spencer, presentation inscription by the author; Sotheby's, 18 December 1995, lot 310

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