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Gray, Simon.
The Smoking Diaries [with] The Year of the Jouncer, Coda [and] The Last Cigarette [David Lodge’s copies].
Publisher: Granta Books, London;
Date of Publication: 2006
Stock Code: 12305
First Editions, Association Copies. Octavo, pp., [8], 240; [6], 282; [6], 251, [1]; [6], 312. Monochrome frontispiece of the Author to “Smoking Diaries”. Publishers’ cloth with gilt titles to spines, in unclipped pictorial dust-jackets. Four wry and frank autobiographical recollections by the playwright and author, who began to keep a diary when he turned 65. Gray (1936-2008) writes with sharp observation and self-deprecating humour of his triumphs and disasters, his addictions to cigarettes and alcohol, and friendships and relationships. From the library of Gray’s long-time friend and fellow author David Lodge; with Lodge’s marginal annotations in pencil throughout the first three volumes and his ownership signature to the front free endpapers of the first three titles in ink. Lodge deeply admired Gray as a writer and highly praised Gray’s tetralogy of diaries in his essay on Gray in his ‘Lives in Writing’, no doubt using these copies to do so, as well as penning a heartfelt obituary of Gray upon the latters death.

With a card laid-in to volume one from the scholar and critic Bernard Bargonzi thanking Lodge for the loan of the book and describing the book as ‘a very absorbing read’ and Gray as ‘a very talented writer’.
Lower corner of lower board of “Smoking Diaries” slightly bruised; spine tips of “Jouncer”, “Smoking Diaries” and “Last Cigarette” slightly creased and rubbed at spine tips. Near fine copies in like dust-jackets. £300.00