In the Antony Lake Dustwrapper.

RILLA, Walter ~ Leucadian Leap. Signed by the author.

FIRST UK PRINTING. Neville Spearman Limited, London: 1956.

8vo., navy publisher's boards, lettered in gilt to backstrip with publisher's device to foot; together in the vibrant pink and blue dustwrapper (clipped, though without loss of price), featuring artwork to upper panel and spine by Antony Lake; THE BOOK near-fine, lightly bumped at foot with very slight offsetting to the endpapers and spotting to the upper edge just slightly encroaching to the upper margin of pages, in one or two places; THE WRAPPER very good plus, a touch darkened to folds and lower panel only, with very slight nicking and rubbing to the ends of folds. A lovely example. The wrapper is protected in a removable Brodart archival cover. First UK edition, inscribed by the author the year after publication to the ffep 'with all good wishes', and signed by him below. The second novel by the German writer Walter Rilla, better known as a Jewish film actor who played more than 130 roles between 1922 and 1977. Rilla's first work, 'Seeds of Time' was praised by Thomas Mann as being "full of ideas and of intense vitality". Here, he uses similar themes of complex family relationships and love triangles as he focuses on an Oxford professor, his love for a younger girl, and the girl's mother, who takes her daughter's place. The title refers to the cliffs on the island of Leucas and the legend that Sappho, desperate with unrequited love for Phaon, ended her life by jumping into the sea there. The vibrant dustwrapper is provided by Antony Lake.

BINDING: Hardcover
CONDITION: Near Fine
JACKET: Very Good +