Written by Françoise Sagan when she was just 18, published in 1954, Bonjour Tristesse caused quite a shock on arrival: sex, scheming and amorality on the Côte d’Azur. Cécile and her charming widowed father live a life of pleasure and irresponsibility, but the unexpected arrival of an old family friend throws their dynamic off balance. The teenage author became an overnight sensation, her own taste for fast cars and fast living coming to echo the recklessness of her characters.

This is the First UK Edition hardback, published by John Murray in 1955, its dustjacket illustrated with a beatnik girl against a St Tropez backdrop. Inside, the red cloth boards feature a debossed design of the two cafe chairs and potted palm, illustrating the jacket.