We Think the World of You

Publication: London, The Bodley Head, 1960 Formatting: 8vo, pp. 158. Condition Report: Near Fine. A remarkably well-preserved example, maintaining its structural integrity with firm, unblemished crimson cloth boards and strikingly bright gilt tooling to the spine. The binding remains tight and square, while the pages are notably clean and crisp, showing only the faintest suggestion of dust-toning to the top edge of the text block. The original, unclipped dust jacket is equally impressive, crisp and vivid, with merely a whisper of rubbing and the lightest, barely perceptible creasing to the spine extremities, retaining its original 12s 6d net price and all its charm without any significant tears, chipping, or fading. Catalogue Note: This is a true first edition, first printing of J. R. Ackerley's celebrated and semi-autobiographical book, notable for being his first and only novel. The striking dust jacket features the original, highly desirable wrap-around illustration by the renowned British painter Derrick Greaves, capturing the mood of mid-century London. Copies of this edition are increasingly scarce on the open market, particularly examples that retain an unclipped dust jacket in such a bright, untouched state. This is an exceptional, collector-grade example of a significant British literary work, free from the common fading or heavy browning often found on the jacket's spine. We Think the World of You is a brilliant, unconventional tale of jealousy, frustration, and shifting loyalties in working-class, post-war London. When Johnny is sent to prison, his middle-class lover, Frank, is left to navigate Johnny's chaotic family in an attempt to look after his magnificent, neglected dog, Evie. Described by Ackerley as a "fairy story for adults," the novel is a masterful and darkly comic exploration of human foibles, class divides, and the profound, transformative bond between a man and a dog.…