A COMPLETE SIGNED SET OF LODGE'S BOOKER-SHORTLISTED WORKS

Lodge, David ~ The Campus Trilogy [Changing Places; Small World; Nice Work] : All Three Titles Signed by the Author

Secker & Warburg, London: 1975-1988

The First UK printings published by Secker & Warburg, London between 1975-1988. 8vo., 3 Vols. ; Vol I (Changing Places) in orange boards, lettered in gilt to spine; with unclipped yellow wrapper printed with titles in orange and blue (£2.90 net to front flap); Vol II (Small World) in green boards lettered and lined in gilt to spine; in the unclipped wrapper (£8.95 net to front flap) featuring an illustration by Wendy Edelson; Vol III (Nice Work) in blue boards, titled in silver to spine; with neatly clipped illustrated wrapper featuring a design by Paul Cox; all books in very good to near fine condition; Vol I : The BOOK has light pushing to spine tips and spotting to the upper edge; The WRAPPER discoloured along folds and with spine evenly sun faded; some nicks and losses to the ends and some light water damage causing some loss to publisher's lettering at foot; neatly repaired internally with tape. This wrapper is notoriously fragile, being prone to fading and damage and rarely appears on the market in any collectible condition. ; Vol II The BOOK with light even toning to pages; The WRAPPER with some creasing to the acetate, small sticker to the lower front flap and some light offsetting markings to the upper edges of flaps, but still near Fine; Vol III The BOOK with some bruising to spine tips and some very light superficial scratches to the upper board; some small tape residue marks to front end-paper; pages with even overall toning due to the quality of the paper stock used; The WRAPPER with a hint of fading to the spine and a couple of tiny brown marks to edges, otherwise near Fine. All wrappers are protected in removable Brodart archival covers. Each volume here signed or inscribed by the author, with Vol I flat signed to title, Vols II and III inscribed "To Angus with best wishes David Lodge". Vol II includes a 1984 Booker Prize Shortlist Bookmark, which is loosely laid in. Vol III includes a flyer to an event entitled 'David Lodge: The Craft of the Novel' which was held at the Artrix, Bromsgrove on Friday 9th November 2012. A complete set of Lodge's revered Campus trilogy, which shines light on the goings-on within a University Campus, inspired by his academic career at the University of Birmingham. Volume one is set in 1969, and follows two University professors, Morris J. Zapp and Philip Swallow, who switch places to travel to each other's Universities - Zapp to the 'glum' and 'dank' University of Rummidge in England, and Swallow to the aptly-named University of Euphoria (modelled on Berkeley), where the 'salaries are lush and the drinks titanic'. Volume two picks up the story of the two protagonists and adds two new ones; Persse McGarrigle and the lovely Angelica, placing them together as they swan around the globe on conference grants. The final volume once again focuses on the city of Rummidge, this time taking as its two protagonists Vic Wilcox, managing director of an engineering firm, and Robyn Penrose, who has been temporarily posted at the University. Highly satirizing the academic world which he inhabited for many years, Lodge's Campus trilogy is remembered today as being composed of three largely-humorous works which touch on themes such as the Thatcher government, feminism and infidelity. With many autobiographical elements, Lodge later claimed that "I thought there might be an entertaining novel to be written about this phenomenon...the contrast between the high ideals of academia and the human weaknesses of its members". The books remain extremely popular today. A rare set to find signed, particularly with the first volume in a collectible condition wrapper.

BINDING: Hardcover
CONDITION: Near fine
JACKET: Very good to Near Fine