The Diary of a Nobody – George & Weedon Grossmith, Pan Books, 1946
The Diary of a Nobody – George & Weedon Grossmith, Pan Books, 1946
This Pan Books edition (1946) of The Diary of a Nobody by George and Weedon Grossmith is of interest to collectors of English comic literature, Pan Books early editions, and association copies.
About: A very good copy in the original bright red cloth binding, without dust jacket as typical for this edition. The cloth is vivid and clean with only light rubbing to the spine ends and corners. The frontispiece illustration of "The Laurels" is present and clean. Pages are age-toned as expected but the text block is tight and entirely unmarked throughout. The volume carries a charming Christmas 1946 presentation inscription to the front free endpaper: "With love from Joan" - a touching period association that dates the copy precisely to the year of publication.
Details:
- Title: The Diary of a Nobody
- Authors: George & Weedon Grossmith
- Illustrator: Weedon Grossmith (original illustrations)
- Introduction: Sir John Squire
- Publisher: Pan Books Ltd, London
- Publication Date: 1946
- Binding: Hardcover, original bright red cloth (no dust jacket)
- Inscription: Christmas 1946, "With love from Joan"
- Condition: Very Good
Synopsis: Pan Books 1946 hardback edition of one of the great comic masterpieces of English literature - the fictional diary of Charles Pooter, a City clerk of modest means and magnificent self-importance, living at "The Laurels", Brickfield Terrace, Holloway. First published in Punch in 1888–1889, The Diary of a Nobody has never been out of print and remains one of the funniest and most affectionately observed books in the language.
Review: George and Weedon Grossmith's Diary of a Nobody is a book that has made readers laugh for over a century. Charles Pooter - earnest, pompous, and utterly loveable - is one of the great comic creations of English fiction. This Pan Books hardback edition, with Weedon Grossmith's original illustrations and an introduction by Sir John Squire, is a scarce and attractive volume, made all the more appealing by its Christmas 1946 presentation inscription.