Literature

Martin, George R.R

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

New York : Bantam Books, 2015.

First edition of the compilation of the first three prequel novellas to George R.R. Martin’s fantasy sage, A Song of Ice and Fire. Octavo, original boards, pictorial endpapers, frontispiece, illustrated with black and white sketches by Gary Gianni. Fine in a fine dust jacket. Jacket design by David G. Stevenson.

Atherton, Gertrude Franklin

The Conqueror: Being the True and Romantic Story of Alexander Hamilton.

New York : The Macmillan Company, 1902.

First edition of this historical novel that blends biographical narrative with romanticized fiction to construct a dramatic portrait of one of America’s founding figures. Octavo, original publisher’s cloth with gilt titles and detailing to the spine and front panel, top edge gilt. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the half-title page, “To Ms. ArelinaContinue reading "The Conqueror: Being the True and Romantic Story of Alexander Hamilton."

Cervantes, Miguel de

Vida Y Hechos del Ingeniso Hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha.

Tarragona : Joseph Barber, 1757.

Eighteenth century finely bound example of Cervantes’ masterpiece “which is to Spanish literature what Shakespeare is to English” (Bloom). Duodecimo, four volumes, bound in full uniform contemporary limp parchment, woodcut title page vignettes, illustrated with woodcuts throughout. In very good condition. Housed in two custom board book boxes with morocco spine fronts. Ownership inscriptions toContinue reading "Vida Y Hechos del Ingeniso Hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha."

Wolfe, Tom [Tom Hanks]

The Bonfire of the Vanities.

New York : Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1987.

First edition of the author’s first novel, basis for the film starring Academy Award-winning actor Tom Hanks. Octavo, original half cloth. Boldly signed by Tom Wolfe and Academy Award-winning actor Tom Hanks on the half-title page. Fine in a fine dust jacket. Rare and desirable.

Burroughs, Edgar Rice

Apache Devil.

Tarzana : Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc., 1933.

First edition of the second book in Burroughs’ realistic historical ‘Apache’ series. Octavo, original cloth with red top stain. In very good condition.. Lacking the front free endpaper. Frontispiece and four illustrations by Studley Burroughs.

Rowling, J.K

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

London : Bloomsbury, 1998.

First edition, early printing of the second novel in Rowling’s Harry Potter series. Octavo, original illustrated boards. Fine in a near fine dust jacket. Jacket design by Cliff Wright.

Salinger, J.D

The Catcher In The Rye.

Boston : Little Brown and Company, 1951.

First edition of the author’s classic first book. Octavo, bound in full morocco by the Harcourt Bindery with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in five compartments within raised bands, gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, gilt stamped signature to the front panel, gilt ruled inner dentelles stamp-signed by the Harcourt Bindery,Continue reading "The Catcher In The Rye."

Baldwin, James

The Fire Next Time. [with] James Baldwin Signed Postcard.

New York : The Dial Press, 1963.

First edition of one of the most influential works on race relations published in the twentieth century. Octavo, original cloth, top stain red. Near fine in a very good dust jacket. Jacket design by Paul Bacon. Jacket photograph by Mottke Weissman. Accompanied by a laid in postcard with a black and white photograph of BaldwinContinue reading "The Fire Next Time. [with] James Baldwin Signed Postcard."

Dickens, Charles

The Mudfog Papers, Etc.

London : Richard Bentley And Son, 1880.

First edition of Charles Dickens’ anthology about a parody of a fictional society. Octodecimo, original publisher’s cloth with gilt titles to the spine, detailing stamped in black and gilt to the spine, front, and rear panel. In very good condition, bookplate.

Dickens, Charles

The Old Curiosity Shop: A Tale.

London : Chapman And Hall, Strand, 1841.

First edition of Dickens’s classic novel. Octavo, bound in half calf, full morocco with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, all edges gilt, with illustrations by George Cattermole and Hablot K. Browne. In very good condition, bookplate to the front pastedown.

Paterson, Katherine

Bridge To Terabithia.

New York : Thomas Crowell, 1977.

First edition of the author’s first Newbery-Award winning classic novel. Octavo, original cloth, illustrated by Donna Diamond. Lengthily signed by the author on the title page, “It was up to him to pay back to the world in beauty in and caring what Leslie had loaned him in vision and strength Katherine Paterson 3/30/16.”” NearContinue reading "Bridge To Terabithia."

Cervantes, Miguel de

Comedias y Entremeses.

Madrid : En la Imprenta de Antonio Marin, 1749.

Finely bound example of this collection of plays from the author of “Don Quixote”. Octavo, two volumes, written in Spanish, bound in full contemporary Spanish limp parchment with alum-tawed knot-and-loop closures, woodcut title page vignettes, illustrated with woodcut head- and tail-pieces throughout. In good condition with chipping to the extremities. With a prologue about theContinue reading "Comedias y Entremeses."

Parker, Dorothy

Enough Rope: Poems.

New York : Boni & Liveright, 1927.

Early printing of Parker’s poignant collection of poetry exploring the complexities of human nature. Octavo, original publisher’s half cloth over marbled paper covered boards. Near fine in a very good dust jacket with a chip to the foot of the dust jacket spine and a closed tear, name to the front free endpaper. Uncommon inContinue reading "Enough Rope: Poems."

Ovid [Sandys, George]

Ovid’s Metamorphosis Englished, Mythologized, And Represented in Figures. An Essay to the Translation of Virgil’s Aeneis.

London : Printed by J. L. for Andrew Hebb, 1640.

Fourth edition of George Sandys’ revered English translation of Ovid’s Metamorphosis. Folio, contemporary paneled boards, rebacked, morocco spine label lettered in gilt, illustrated with two copies of the engraved portrait of Ovid (one opposite engraved title, the other opposite the Life), engraved title page, and 15 full-page plates (one at the beginning of each book ofContinue reading "Ovid’s Metamorphosis Englished, Mythologized, And Represented in Figures. An Essay to the Translation of Virgil’s Aeneis."

Tolkien, J.R.R

The Hobbit.

London : George Allen & Unwin Ltd, 1937.

First edition, first issue of Tolkien’s classic tale, “among the very highest achievements of children’s authors during the 20th century” (Carpenter & Prichard, 530). Octavo, original cloth, cartographic endpapers, frontispiece and 9 full-page uncolored illustrations after drawings by Tolkien. Near fine in a unrestored very good first-issue dust jacket after a design by Tolkien withContinue reading "The Hobbit."

Kazantzakis, Nikos

Odyssey: A Modern Sequel.

New York : Simon & Schuster, 1958.

First edition, first printing of Kazantzakis’ masterpiece. Octavo, original cloth. Translated into English by Kimon Friar; illustrations by Ghika. Near fine in a very good dust jacket, inscription to the front free endpaper. Uncommon.

Pearce, Donn

Cool Hand Luke.

Norwalk, Connecticut : The Easton Press, 2009.

Signed limited first edition of this classic work, basis for the 1967 film starring Paul Newman, George Kennedy and Lou Antonio. Royal octavo, elaborately bound in full brown leather with gilt titles to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, all edges gilt, watered silk moire endpapers, with a silk bookmark bound in.Continue reading "Cool Hand Luke."

Huxley, Aldous

Brave New World.

London : Chatto & Windus, 1932.

First edition of Huxley’s masterpiece. Octavo, bound in full morocco by the Harcourt Bindery with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in five compartments within raised bands, gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, gilt ruled inner dentelles stamp-signed by the Harcourt Bindery, hand-made Italian marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. Boldly signed andContinue reading "Brave New World."

Lessing, Doris [V.S. Naipaul]

The Golden Notebook.

London : Michael Joseph, 1962.

First edition of the Nobel Prize-winning author’s magnum opus. Octavo, original cloth. From the library of fellow Nobel Prize-winning author V.S. Naipaul on the front free endpaper. V.S. Naipaul (1932–2018) was a Trinidad-born novelist and essayist whose works, including A House for Mr Biswas (1961), In a Free State (1971), and A Bend in theContinue reading "The Golden Notebook."

Biblia Cum Concordantiis Veteris et Novi Testamenti. [The Bible with Concordances of the Old and New Testaments]. [Jerome’s Latin Vulgate].

[Lugundi] : [Jacobum Mareschal], 1527.

Rare 16th century printed seminary copy of Jerome’s Latin Vulgate. Folio, bound in full elaborately blind-stamped vellum with remains of iron clasps, all edges red, finely printed in gothic letter, title printed in red and black within woodcut borders, numerous woodcuts and woodcut initials, title and a few woodcuts hand-colored. With a Seminary library catalogContinue reading "Biblia Cum Concordantiis Veteris et Novi Testamenti. [The Bible with Concordances of the Old and New Testaments]. [Jerome’s Latin Vulgate]."