[Three early novels, comprising: ] The Nature of Passion; [with] Esmond in India; [and] Get Ready for Battle

London: George Allen & Unwin / John Murray, 1962. First Edition. Hardcover. Fine/Fine. A superb trio of First Impressions, the Booker Prize-winning author's second, third, and fifth novels. Crown 8vo (184 x 118mm): 261,[3]; 256; 224pp. Passion: Publisher's black cloth, spine lettered in silver, top edge stained steel-gray; illustrated dust jacket, price-clipped with publisher's sticker repricing to 21s. Esmond: Publisher's black cloth, spine lettered in silver, top edge stained steel-gray; illustrated dust jacket, price-clipped with publisher's sticker repricing to 25s. Battle: Publisher's chartreuse cloth, spine lettered in black; illustrated dust jacket, with publisher's sticker repricing to £2. Exceptional examples, all very lightly read (if at all), tightly bound and clean throughout, in fine jackets with light dust-soiling to back panels. Born in Cologne into a middle-class German-Jewish family, Ruth Prawer studied literature in London, where she met and married Cyrus Jhabvala, an Indian student. At age 24, they moved to India, and her delight in the subcontinent is reflected in these early novels, especially The Nature of Passion, an "Austenish comedy of manners . . . about arranged marriages versus love matches, and about the conflicts which arise between a modern Westernized youth and a more traditional older generation." (Literary Encyclopedia) N. B. With few exceptions (always identified), we only stock books in exceptional condition, with dust jackets carefully preserved in archival, removable mylar sleeves. All orders are packaged with care and posted promptly. Satisfaction guaranteed. (Fine Editions Ltd is a member of the Independent Online Booksellers Association, and we subscribe to its codes of ethics.).