The Green Man

London: Jonathan Cape, 1969. First edition. Cloth. Fine/Fine. 7.5" by 5". None. A superb copy of this unique Kingsley Amis novel, a ghost story and comical novel here in the original unclipped dustwrapper. The first edition, first impression of this work.In the original unclipped dustwrapper.'The Green Man' takes place in an inn between London and Cambridge; the inn dates back to the fourteenth century and is haunted by one of the previous owners from the seventeenth century.An unusual work by Kingsley Amis, a departure from his previous works which this being described as three genres in one - ghost story, moral fable, and comic novel.From the library at Julians Park, Hertfordshire, once the library of Audrey Pleydell-Bouverie. After being widowed at 25, Audrey married the fabulously wealthy American department store heir, Marshall Field III, later divorcing him and marrying the Honorable Peter Pleydell-Bouverie. In 1940 she bought Julians Park and redesigned the interior. Her library was impressive, with many examples of her own bookbinding.Audrey was an extravagant socialite and renowned beauty, the illegitimate granddaughter of King Edward VII (though she was also rumoured to be his daughter, or the lover of King Edward VIII), featured in the 'Book of Beauty' by Cecil Beaton. She had many high profile friends, such as Winston Churchill, Coco Chanel, Fred Astaire, and Nancy Mitford, a sparkling hostess of the Edwardian period, her hedonistic antics bringing her into the Bright Young Things. In the original publisher's cloth binding, in the original unclipped dustwrapper. Externally, smart, with a couple of light marks to the boards. Spine of the dustwrapper is very lightly sunned. Internally, firmly bound. Pages are bright and clean. Fine