James [J. G.] Farrell – Troubles – First Edition 1970 – SIGNED and INSCRIBED to his Landlady Norma di Carlo

Description

FIRST EDITION, SIGNED PRESENTATION COPY, additionally signed by the author on the title-page, original cloth, dust-jacket, Jonathan Cape, 1970.
A superb presentation copy of Farrell’s finest novel, inscribed by him on the front free endpaper:
“Norma supplied the money/ I supplied the ink/ Happy birthday, David/ Jim Farrell/12 July 1971”. Additionally signed in full ‘J G Farrell’ to the title-page.
Norma di Marco, a fairly well reknowned cellist who studied under Jacqueline Dupree, was Farrell’s landlady in London. This, signed after the author’s trip to India to research ‘The Siege of Krishnapur’ is a warm one.
A good copy, with a small chip to the base of the spine, some light staining to the top edge and boards; in a very good, unclipped dust-wrapper, with some light wear to the extremities.
The first part of Farrell’s celebrated Empire Trilogy, is set in the decaying Hotel Majestic in Ireland during the War of Independence, its crumbling architecture mirroring the collapse of British imperial confidence. Long admired as one of the great post-war comic novels, it was later awarded the Lost Man Booker Prize in 2010.
Signed copies of Farrell’s major works are scarce; inscribed copies of ‘Troubles’ in the dust-wrapper, particularly with such a warm and substantial association inscription, are unheard of.