Spark, Muriel ~ Not to Disturb : Signed By The Author

Macmillan, London : 1971

The First UK printing published by Macmillan, London in 1971. 8vo., brown publisher's boards lined and lettered vertically in gilt to spine; together in the unclipped pictorial wrapper (£1.75) designed by George Hardie; The BOOK is in near fine condition with faint spotting to fore-edge and end-papers. A hint of toning to the text-block. A small erasure of an old pencilled price to the upper front blank end-paper. The WRAPPER is complete and is in near Fine condition with some very minor toning and some minimal rubbing to the spine tips; the odd spot. The wrapper is protected in a removable Brodart archival cover. This copy boldly signed (without dedication) by the author to the title page. 'Not to Disturb' is set in Geneva, and follows a series of servants (the butler, the porter, the handyman, the maid, etc.) in a large house as they await the outcome of the Baron and Baroness Klopstock, who have locked themselves into their library with their young secretary Victor Passerat, and with the strict instruction that they are not to be disturbed. As the night rages on, marriages are conducted, a series of bizarre guests arrive (a prince and a Reverend on a motorbike), the baron's lunatic brother howls in the attic, and everyone waits with bated breath for the outcome. A darkly humorous novel, reportedly written by Spark after she was inspired by a real-life news report. Scarce with such attributes.

BINDING: Hardcover
CONDITION: Near Fine
JACKET: Near Fine