GARY, Romain [215] pp. Simon and Schuster 1959 Book Club Edition 8 1/2" x 5 7/8" Portrait of the author by Horst on rear cover Jacket drawing by Gray Foy VG/ VG Romain Gary was a Prix Goncourt Award-winning writer who once headed the French Consulate in Los Angeles. He was married to Lesley Blanch (The Wilder Shores of Love) who was the inspiration for the grande dame in this novel, a satire of the English class system, which is told from the perspective of Lady L. on her eightieth birthday. After the sets were already constructed (under the direction of Lesley Blanch) and the film cast (Tony Curtis, Gina Lollobrigida, and Ralph Richardson), Cukor backed out, claiming illness. Despite its significant investment, the project was scrapped and an entirely different version was made directed by Peter Ustinov (starring Sophia Loren, Paul Newman, and David Niven). “Lady L. remained silent for a while, closing her eyes. She was thinking how very fortunate she had been, how very lucky: she could have been born a lady, like so many of her friends, or simply into a good home and a happy family … and she would never have known how beautiful life could be.”
