Books

First edition, first printing, presentation copy of the author's debut, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, "To Jon, with my love, Dodie. Doylestown, Pennsylvania, November 1948", with an autograph note from Smith laid in, dated 26 March 1949. The recipient was Jon Wynne-Tyson (1924-2020), author, publisher, pacifist, and founder of the Centaur Press. His mother, the actress, writer, and philosopher Esmé Wynne-Tyson (1898-1972), was a close friend of Smith, and collaborated with their mutual friend Noël Coward on several plays. The note is written on the verso of a change-of-address card, marking Smith's move from Doylestown, Pennsylvania, where this title was written, to 1006 Cove Way, Beverly Hills, California. She thanks Jon for his letter and for sending copies of Enquiry. She continues: "I've sent your mother all our reasons for returning to California - for the summer". She adds that she and her husband, Alec Beesley, intend to leave in April, "driving of course, because of the dogs", the dogs being their cohort of Dalmatians, the inspiration for her other famous title, The One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1955). I Capture the Castle was published in the USA in October, preceding the UK edition by a year. Smith wrote the book after emigrating with her husband during the Second World War: both were conscientious objectors and moved from Britain to avoid legal difficulties. The novel was filmed in 2004, starring Romola Garai, Bill Nighy, Rose Byrne, and Tara Fitzgerald. Octavo. Original light blue cloth, spine lettered in blue, castle vignette on front cover in blue. With Samuel Bryant designed dust jacket. Change of address card loosely inserted (90 x 113 mm) written in autograph on verso by Smith. Fly-titles with vignette illustrations by Ruth Steed. With 5 associated newspaper clippings loosely inserted. Spine sunned, with damp stain at foot extending to covers, foxing along spine, extremities, and edges, extending slightly to pastedowns. A very good copy in like jacket, lightly soiled, spine panel browned with some continuation across rear panel, two tape repairs to same, edges a little nicked and rubbed, still a firm, square book in sharp jacket, unclipped.

I Capture the Castle is a novel by Dodie Smith, written in the form of the journals of 17-year-old Cassandra Mortmain. She chronicles her eccentric family's life in their dilapidated English castle and her own coming-of-age experiences.