Published by Jonathan Cape, London; 1990. 8vo. 231pp. Uncorrected Proof. Condition: Fine.
Green softcover binding, free from damage of marks with just a hint of lightening to the edges. Inside, the pages are clean and bright and free from blemishes or wear, the spine uncreased and the book appearing unread. Protected in mylar sleeve.
In all, this is a beautiful example of this uncorrected book proof of McEwan's acclaimed novel. Set in Berlin in 1955-6 at the beginning of the Cold War. It centres on the joint CIA/MI6 Operation Gold to build a tunnel from the American to the Russian sectors of Berlin in order to tap the the phone lines of the Soviet High Command. Leonard Markham is the 'innocent' of the title, 25 year old Englishman who sets up and repairs the tape recorders in the tunnel. He falls in love with Maria Eckdorf, a 30 year old divorced German woman. This acclaimed tale is focussed on their relationship and Leonard's role in the operation. Though only a pawn in an international plot, Leonard uses his secret work to escape the bonds of his ordinary life. The promise of his new life begins to be fulfilled as Leonard becomes a crucial part of the surveillance team, while simultaneously being initiated into a new world of love and sex by Maria, a beautiful young German woman.