FAREWELL, MY LOVELY - INSCRIBED TO VINCENT VOUNDER-DAVIS

Chandler, Raymond

Published by Hamish Hamilton Ltd., London, 1940

First Impression. Octavo (19cm); yellow cloth, with titles stamped in red on spine and front cover; dustjacket; [6],7-320pp. Inscribed by the author on the front endpaper in red pen to Vincent Vounder-Davis: "Dear Vincent: Please accept this with my love and admiration and try not to forget me, because I shall never forget you / Ray / La Jolla, Dec.5th, 1958." Spine ends slightly nudged, corners gently tapped (though still sharp), with faint foxing to text edges, endpapers, and a few preliminary and terminal leaves; Very Good+ or better, with the cloth notably bright and unspoiled. In the original pictorial dustjacket, unclipped (priced 7s. 6d. net), showing moderate shelfwear, some losses, tears, and attendant creases to spine ends and corners (with no loss to lettering or design), a few longer tears, with some dust-soil and a large triangular chip to lower rear panel; only Very Good, but substantially complete and unrestored. Housed in a custom quarter morocco clamshell case. Chandler's second novel, a Haycraft-Queen cornerstone title, and basis for Edward Dmytryk's film noir Murder, My Sweet (1944), starring Dick Powell, Claire Trevor, and Anne Shirley, as well as the 1975 adaptation starring Robert Mitchum as Philip Marlowe. A tremendous association copy, inscribed to the son of Chandler's private secretary, "girlfriend," and muse, Jean Vounder-Davis. After the death of Chandler's beloved wife, Cissy, he took the young Australian Jean Vounder-Davis (formerly Fracasse) into his employ. Unlike previous women he was involved with, Jean practically lived with with Chandler at his La Jolla home, and he ended up taking her two children, Vincent and Sybil, under his wing. She was a good influence on Chandler, coaxing him out of his depressive state and urging him back toward his typewriter (and productive work). In his role as surrogate father, he became deeply attached to Vincent. As a token of esteem and friendship, Chandler gifted his late wife Cissy's inscribed copy of The Big Sleep to Vincent, adding a second inscription to him: "Dear Vincent / Originally this was for my wife / Now it is for you / Ray." The UK edition of Farewell is equal in rarity to the UK Big Sleep. Bruccoli noted the existence of a dustjacket, but had never seen one himself. We've seen two over the years, both badly restored, and neither of them inscribed. Bruccoli A2.2.a; The Dark Page, Vol.1, pp.60-61; Hubin, p.75. Seller Inventory # 7390

Bibliographic Details

Title: FAREWELL, MY LOVELY - INSCRIBED TO VINCENT ...
Publisher: Hamish Hamilton Ltd., London
Publication Date: 1940
Signed: Signed by Author(s)
Edition: First U.K. Edition.