Beschreibung:

GREENE, Graham. The Heart of the Matter . London: William Heinemann, 1948. 8 o. Original printed wrappers (worn, lacking rear wrapper). Provenance : GRAHAM GREENE (his annotations throughout). GREENE'S OWN ANNOTATED PROOF FOR THE FIRST EDITION. Among Greene's numerous additions and emendations is a list of his works labelled "Also by Graham Greene" facing the title. A significant addition is that of the dedication on the verso of the title-page: "To V.G., L.C.G. & F.C.G." Greene has heavily edited the Rilke quotation he uses to introduce the text. Throughout the text Greene makes changes in punctuation, word choice and insertions or deletions of character's titles. [ With: ] GREENE, Graham. The Heart of the Matter . London: William Heinemann, 1948. 8 o. Original blue cloth; printed dust jacket (few small chips at edges). Provenance : A.S. Frere, Greene's editor at Heinemann (presentation inscription). FIRST EDITION. A FINE ASSOCIATION COPY OF ONE OF GREENE'S MASTERWORKS, INSCRIBED TO HIS EDITOR A.S. FRERE on the front free endpaper: "For Frere with gratitude and affection from Graham Greene April 1948." Frere was for many years head of Heinemann and presided over the publication of many of Greene's major works, starting with his first novel, The Man Within (1929). Greene and Frere spent many holidays together at Frere's home in the south of France. Their relationship was so strong that when Frere was dismissed from Heinemann in the mid-1960s, Greene left the firm and moved to The Bodley Head. (See lot 131 for Greene's later novel, The Quiet American , and lot 288, Steinbeck's Short Reign of Pippin IV , inscribed to A.S. Frere.) Wobbe A29a. TWO VERY FINE ASSOCIATION COPIES. (2)