About this Item
Fourth edition, published in January 1958, just three years after the first edition, which was published in October 1955. The second edition was the wrappers issue, published in February 1956, and the third edition was a hardback printing published in July 1956. ***Very good in brushed olive-green cloth-covered boards with gilt titles to the spine. The gilt is still fresh and bright. The boards are clean and unmarked, but there is some fading of the olive-green colour to grey at the top and bottom edges (often found with this book). No bumps or creases. No tears to the cloth. Corners sharp. Spine tight. Page block edges clean. Internally also very good, with a neat ownership name and date - 'J. Barry Webb, Hampstead, 1962' - in ink to the top of the front free endpaper. There is also a newspaper clipping showing a portrait of the young Philip Larkin tipped at the top edge to the front pastedown. There is also a loosely inserted folded newspaper obituary from The Observer Sunday 8 December 1985 ('Farewell to a friend - Kingsley Amis remembers Philip Larkin'). Pages otherwise unmarked and clean. No foxing. No creases or tears. ***In a very good salmon-pink printed dustwrapper, which has been corner price-clipped. The dustwrapper is complete, with just the slightest of loss at the top and tail of the spine. The spine of the dustwrapper is faded as usual to a pale pink, and there is slight uneven fading also to the back panel. The dustwrapper is very clean and unmarked. ***45 pages. 221mm x 142mm. ***Contents: Lines on a Young Lady's Photograph Album, Wedding-Wind, Places, Loved Ones, Coming, Reasons for Attendance, Dry-Point, Next, Please, Going, Wants, Maiden Name, Born Yesterday, Whatever Happened?, No Road, Wires, Church Going, Age, Myxomatosis, Toads, Poetry of Departures, Triple Time, Spring, Deceptions, I Remember, I Remember, Absences, Latest Face, If, My Darling, Skin, Arrivals, Departures, At Grass. ***'This volume, containing a selection of poems written since 1945, establishes Philip Larkin as one of the foremost English poets of the post-war years. His work, though often sharing the witty unsentimental approach of his contemporaries, has, by reason of its insistence on the direct expression of personal feeling, an appeal wider, more immediate, and perhaps more enduring than is customary in much present-day poetry, one which is reinforced by the importance he attaches to clarity of thought and syntax. ***Now in its Fourth Edition, THE LESS DECEIVED has, in a very short time, sold an astonishingly large number of copies.' (Quote taken from the front flap of the dustwrapper). ***'Philip Arthur Larkin CH CBE FRSL (9 Aug 1922 - 2 Dec 1985) was an English poet, novelist, and librarian. His first book of poetry, "The North Ship", was published in 1945, followed by two novels, "Jill" (1946) and "A Girl in Winter" (1947). He came to prominence in 1955 with the publication of his second collection of poems, "The Less Deceived", followed by "The Whitsun Weddings" (1964) and "High Windows" (1974). He contributed to The Daily Telegraph as its jazz critic from 1961 to 1971, with his articles gathered in "All What Jazz: A Record Diary 1961?71" (1985), and edited "The Oxford Book of Twentieth Century English Verse" (1973). His many honours include the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry. He was offered, but declined, the position of Poet Laureate in 1984, following the death of Sir John Betjeman.' ***Fourth edition of Philip Larkin's second poetry collection, complete in its original dustwrapper, in unusually nice condition. A fragile production which is seldom found in any edition in such nice collectable condition - this copy with the extra ephemera. ***For all our books, postage is charged at cost, allowing for packaging: any shipping rates indicated on ABE are an average only: we will reduce the P & P charge where appropriate - please contact us for postal rates for heavier books and sets etc.
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