{"product_id":"the-guardians-j-i-m-stewart-1st-edition","title":"The Guardians, J. I. M. Stewart — 1st Edition","description":"\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"0\" data-index-in-node=\"46\"\u003ePublication\u003c\/b\u003e: London, Victor Gollancz Ltd, 1955\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"0\" data-index-in-node=\"93\"\u003eFormatting\u003c\/b\u003e: 8vo, pp. 253.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"0\" data-index-in-node=\"119\"\u003eCondition Report\u003c\/b\u003e: Near Fine. The original maroon cloth binding remains tight, square, and remarkably well-preserved, featuring bright, unoxidised gilt lettering to the spine; it shows only the faintest suggestion of gentle bumping to the spine ends. Internally, the book is crisp and exceptionally clean, entirely free from previous ownership inscriptions, with just a touch of very faint, scattered spotting along the text block edges that does not intrude into the margins. The original, unclipped yellow dust jacket (priced 12\/6 net) is vibrant and highly attractive; it presents only minimal shelf-wear and slight, natural age-toning to the spine panel, alongside a few negligible handling marks to the rear, avoiding the severe sun-fading and heavy soiling typical of Gollancz jackets from this period. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"0\" data-index-in-node=\"1000\"\u003eCatalogue Note\u003c\/b\u003e: This is the first edition, first impression of J. I. M. Stewart’s second mainstream novel, presented in its iconic, unclipped Gollancz yellow dust jacket. Stewart, who simultaneously enjoyed immense popularity writing classic detective fiction under the pseudonym Michael Innes, utilized his own name for his more literary, academic novels.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"1\"\u003eEarly Stewart novels in their original dust jackets are becoming increasingly uncommon on the open market, particularly in such tightly bound, well-preserved condition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"1\"\u003eThe signature Gollancz yellow jackets are notoriously prone to severe sun-fading, soiling, and chipping, making this vibrant, intact survivor highly desirable for collectors of mid-century British literature. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"1\"\u003eFollowing the critical success of \u003ci data-path-to-node=\"1\" data-index-in-node=\"419\"\u003eMark Lambert's Supper\u003c\/i\u003e, J. I. M. Stewart returns to the literary world with \u003ci data-path-to-node=\"1\" data-index-in-node=\"494\"\u003eThe Guardians\u003c\/i\u003e, a witty, character-driven comedy of manners. Drawing on his deep immersion in the academic milieu (Stewart was a distinguished Oxford don), the novel explores the intricacies of scholarly legacy, the guardianship of secrets, and the gentle absurdities of the mid-twentieth-century intelligentsia. With his trademark subtlety and satirical eye, Stewart weaves a narrative that is both an elegant homage to traditional English academic life and a sharp dissection of human ambition.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Broadhursts Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55119695118675,"sku":"5773","price":40.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0960\/1469\/6787\/files\/20260928_160900.jpg?v=1790771992","url":"https:\/\/broadhurstsbooks.com\/products\/the-guardians-j-i-m-stewart-1st-edition","provider":"Broadhursts Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}