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Literature

Rare & Classic, American or English Literature Books for Sale Online

Browse rare first edition classics in American, English, world literature, poetry, and plays. View our entire collection of rare literature below, search our inventory with advanced search, or use our sorting tools to find exactly what you’re looking for. Please call with any questions you may have on a specific item or order online today.

Showing items 1-20 of 2245

Homer; Translated by Alexander Pope

The Iliad of Homer [and] The Odyssey of Homer.

London : Printed by W. Bowyer, for Bernard Lintott between the Temple-Gates, 1715-1726.

First editions of Alexander Pope’s monumental illustrated translations of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, the deluxe subscribers’ quarto issue on thick paper, esteemed by Samuel Johnson as “certainly the noblest version of poetry which the world has ever seen.” Quarto, eleven volumes, uniformly bound in full contemporary speckled calf with gilt tooling to the spine inContinue reading "The Iliad of Homer [and] The Odyssey of Homer."

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$14,000.00
Item Number: RRB-150465
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Dante Alighieri; Translated by Henry Boyd

The Divina Commedia of Dante Alighieri: Consisting of the Inferno, Purgatorio and Paradiso. [The Divine Comedy].

London : Printed by A. Strahan for T. Cadell Jun. and W. Davies, in the Strand, 1802.

First edition of the first full translation of Dante’s Divine Comedy into English, translated with preliminary essays, notes, and illustrations by the Rev. Henry Boyd. Octavo, three volumes, bound in full diced calf with gilt titles and stamping to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, gilt scrolling and central motif to theContinue reading "The Divina Commedia of Dante Alighieri: Consisting of the Inferno, Purgatorio and Paradiso. [The Divine Comedy]."

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$7,800.00
Item Number: RRB-150482
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Rey, H.A. and Margaret

Curious George Takes a Job.

Boston : Houghton Mifflin Company, 1949.

Early edition of the second installment in the Curious George series. Quarto, original cloth with titles stamped in black, pictorial endpapers, with illustrations throughout. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the title page with an original drawing of George walking at night through the trees, “Here’s one George to another H.A. Rey 1949.” Fine in aContinue reading "Curious George Takes a Job."

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$2,250.00
Item Number: RRB-150378
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Durrell, Gerald [John Drinkall]

The Overloaded Ark.

London : Faber and Faber & The Book Society, 1953.

First edition of the Book Society edition of Durrell’s first book. Octavo, original green cloth, top stain blue. Boldly signed by Gerald Durrell on the front free endpaper. Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Illustrated by Sabine Baur. Signed bookplate of John Drinkall, who was a distinguished British diplomat whose career in theContinue reading "The Overloaded Ark."

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$850.00
Item Number: RRB-150367
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Twain, Mark. [Samuel L. Clemens]

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

New York : Charles L. Webster and Company, 1885.

First edition, first issue of Mark Twain’s masterpiece. Octavo, original publisher’s decorated green cloth, with 174 illustrations by Edward W. Kemble. Contains all of the agreed upon first issue points for the clothbound book: page 9 with “Decided” remaining uncorrected (to “Decides”); page 13, illustration captioned “Him and another Man” listed as on page 88;Continue reading "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn."

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$15,000.00
Item Number: RRB-117039
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Saint-Exupery, Antoine de; Translated by Katherine Woods

The Little Prince.

New York : Reynal and Hitchcock, 1943.

First edition of Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s masterpiece, which precedes the first edition in French. Translated from the French by Katherine Woods. Small quarto, bound in full modern full pictorial brown morocco with inlay tooling to the front panel by the Harcourt Bindery, all edges gilt, marbled endpapers, illustrated by the author. In fine condition. A stunning example.

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$5,500.00
Item Number: RRB-151028
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Twain, Mark. [Samuel L. Clemens]

The Prince and the Pauper. A Tale For Young People of All Ages.

James R. Osgood and Company : Boston, 1882.

First edition, first issue of of the author’s first historical novel with the Franklin imprint on the copyright page. BAL 3402. Johnson pp. 39-41. Octavo, bound in three quarter burgundy morocco over marbled boards with gilt titles to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, marbled endpapers, with one hundred and ninety-two illustrations.Continue reading "The Prince and the Pauper. A Tale For Young People of All Ages."

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$1,100.00
Item Number: RRB-150845
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Dickens, Charles

Oliver Twist; or, the Parish Boy’s Progress.

London : Richard Bentley, 1838.

First edition of one of Dickens’ most recognizable works, with “By Boz” to each title page and the corrected “Church” plate. Octavo, three volumes bound in full levant red morocco by Bayntun Riviere with gilt titles and elaborate gilt tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, gilt ruling and central giltContinue reading "Oliver Twist; or, the Parish Boy’s Progress."

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$6,500.00
Item Number: RRB-150707
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Twain, Mark. [Samuel L. Clemens]

A Dog’s Tale.

New York : Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1904.

First edition of Twain’s “powerful indictment of cruelty to animals.” Octavo, original pictorial cloth, illustrated with four color plates by W.T. Smedley including tissue-guarded frontispiece. BAL 3483. Near fine in near fine dust jacket. Exceptionally rare in the original jacket.

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$3,200.00
Item Number: RRB-150701
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Twain, Mark [Samuel L. Clemens]

A Tramp Abroad.

Hartford : American Publishing Company, 1880.

First edition of Twain’s humorous and semi-autobiographical work of travel literature with the frontispiece captioned “Titian’s Moses” opposite the portrait of Twain. BAL 3386. Octavo, bound in full morocco by Stikeman and Co. with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, gilt turn-ins and inner dentelles, all edgesContinue reading "A Tramp Abroad."

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$975.00
Item Number: RRB-150844
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Goldman, William

The Princess Bride.

New York : Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1973.

First edition of Goldman’s classic novel, basis for the cult classic directed by Rob Reiner, starring Cary Elwes. Octavo, original gray cloth. Boldly signed William Goldman on the title page at Yale University and additionally signed by director Rob Reiner and Cary Elwes on the front free endpaper. Fine in a near fine dust jacket.Continue reading "The Princess Bride."

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$22,500.00
Item Number: RRB-150806
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King, Stephen [Ray Bradbury; Gerald Ford; Jim Harrison; Norman Mailer; Joyce Carol Oates; John Updike; Eudora Welty; et al]

Lord John Signatures.

Northridge, California : Lord John Press, 1991.

First deluxe limited edition of this collection of author photographs and signatures. Oblong octavo, original half cloth with faux navy morocco spine, gilt titles to the spine, gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, facsimile signature endpapers, illustrated throughout with photographs. Signed by Stephen King at the conclusion of his introduction in addition toContinue reading "Lord John Signatures."

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$1,100.00
Item Number: RRB-150137
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Silverstein, Shel

The Giving Tree.

New York : Harper & Row Publishers, 1964.

First edition of the author’s classic work. Octavo, bound in full green morocco by the Harcourt Bindery, gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, gilt inner dentelles stamp-signed by the Harcourt Bindery, gilt signature to the front panel, marbled endpapers,Continue reading "The Giving Tree."

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$2,800.00
Item Number: RRB-150802
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Rand, Ayn

Atlas Shrugged.

New York : Random House, 1957.

First edition of one of the most influential novels of the twentieth century. Large octavo, original green cloth, frontispiece stamped in gilt, spine stamped in black and gilt. Boldly signed by Ayn Rand on the front free endpaper. Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Jacket design by George Salter.

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$18,500.00
Item Number: RRB-150856
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Dumas, Alexandre [Alexander]

The Works of Alexandre Dumas, Including: The Count of Monte Cristo, The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After, and The Vicomte de Bragelonne: Ten Years Later.

Boston : Little, Brown, and Company, 1893-98.

Rare limited edition of the works of Dumas, one of only 50 copies of the Illustrated Library Edition of the complete works of Alexandre Dumas. Octavo, 60 volumes bound in three quarter blue morocco by Bumpus over marbled boards with gilt titles and ruling to the spine in four compartments within raised gilt bands, topContinue reading "The Works of Alexandre Dumas, Including: The Count of Monte Cristo, The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After, and The Vicomte de Bragelonne: Ten Years Later."

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$15,000.00
Item Number: RRB-150854
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Melville, Herman

Moby-Dick; Or, The Whale.

New York : Harper & Brothers, Publishers, 1851.

First edition, first issue binding of Melville’s masterpiece. Octavo, original red variant cloth (BAL’s A grain), covers stamped in blind with Harper’s circular device at the center of the front panel within a heavy blind ruled frame, plain orange endpapers. Issued in a single volume, in black, green, blue, red, purple, slate or brown cloth,Continue reading "Moby-Dick; Or, The Whale."

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$42,000.00
Item Number: RRB-150358
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Thackeray, William Makepeace

Vanity Fair: A Novel Without a Hero.

London : Bradbury and Evans, 1848.

First edition, first issue of Thackeray’s masterpiece. Octavo, bound in full green morocco elaborately bound by Bayntun in Cosway-style with a portrait of Thackeray inset on the front cover, elaborate gilt titles and tooling to the spine, front and rear panels, inner dentelles, raised bands, green ribbon marker, green silk moiré endpapers, all edges gilt.Continue reading "Vanity Fair: A Novel Without a Hero."

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$4,500.00
Item Number: RRB-150809
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