David Cornwell - better known as John le Carré - died five years ago; his library is now for sale at Maggs in London: John le Carré. Books from The Library of Jane and David Cornwell at Tregiffian (in Cornwall). Le Carré, best known for his espionage novels such as The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1963), was an admirer of Graham Greene and John Grisham, but avoided to read too many contemporary novels. His library contains dedication copies of works by Joseph Brodsky (written just after he learned that he had been awarded the Nobel Prize), Philip Roth ('For David- author of a perfect novel') and others.
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| Charles Ricketts, illustration for The Passionate Pilgrim. Songs in Shakespeare's Plays (1896) |
Cornwell/Le Carré was not a bibliophile, but surprisingly his library contains a Vale Press publication: The Passionate Pilgrim. Songs in Shakespeare's Plays (1896). It is bound for Bumpus in 'green hard grain morocco', 'covers decorated with a border of heart tools, smooth spine lettered in gilt with large and small heart tools, endpaper turn-ins decorated with hearts’.
There is also a gift inscription: 'For darling Enid with love from Molly Christmas 1920'.
The identities of Enid and Molly remain obscure.
