Literature

Goldoni, Carlo

Nuovo Teatro Comico Dell’Avvocato Carlo Goldoni Poeta Di S. A. R. Il Serenissimo Infante di Spagna Don Filippo Duca Di Parma, Piacenza, Guastalla, ec. [New Comic Theater of the Lawyer Carlo Goldoni].

Venezi : Francesco Pitteri, 1753-1755.

Rare complete set of Pitteri’s 1757 printing of Goldoni’s works of comic theater. Octavo, ten volumes bound in full vellum with gilt tooling to the spine, engraved frontispiece portrait of Goldoni by Pitteri after Piazetta. In good condition. Armorial bookplates. A rare complete set of this scarce printing published during the author’s lifetime.

Du Maurier, Daphne

My Cousin Rachel.

London : Victor Gollancz Ltd, 1951.

First edition of Daphne du Maurier’s classic mystery-romance. Octavo, bound in full morocco to mimic a lady’s riding jacket with three jeweled buttons. In fine condition. An exceptional presentation.

Du Maurier, Daphne

Frenchman’s Creek.

London : Victor Gollancz Ltd, 1941.

First edition of du Maurier’s third novel. Octavo, bound in full blue morocco to mimic a gentleman’s coat with four titanium skull-shaped buttons. In fine condition. A unique example.

Bernstein, Leonard

The Joy of Music.

New York : Simon and Schuster, 1959.

First edition of this classic work, a national best-seller on its publication, Bernstein’s first collection of essays and conversations on the world of music. Octavo, original cloth. Presentation copy, inscribed by the the author on the front free endpaper, “For Ed Hiller Sincerely Leonard Bernstein.” Fine in a good dust jacket. Jacket design by RonaldContinue reading "The Joy of Music."

Joyce, James

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.

New York : Huebsch, 1916.

First edition of Joyce’s classic stream-of-consciousness work, his first novel, in the exceptionally rare dust jacket. Octavo, original blue cloth with titles to the spine in gilt. Near fine in a very good dust jacket with small chips and wear to the extremities. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. Rare especially in thisContinue reading "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man."

Joyce, James

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.

New York : Huebsch, 1916.

First edition of Joyce’s classic stream-of-consciousness work, his first novel, in the exceptionally rare dust jacket. Octavo, original blue cloth with titles to the spine in gilt. Near fine in a very good dust jacket with small chips and wear to the extremities. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. Rare especially in thisContinue reading "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man."

Abdulrazak Gurnah

Memory of Departure: A Novel.

New York : The Grove Press, 1988.

First edition of the author’s first novel. Octavo, original half cloth. Fine in a fine dust jacket. Jacket illustration and design by Bascove.

Verne, Jules

The Mysterious Island: Abandoned.

New York : Scribner, Armstrong, & Co., 1875.

First American edition of the second installment in Verne’s Mysterious Island trilogy. Octavo, original publisher’s green cloth decorated in gilt, illustrated. Translated from the French by W.H.G. Kingston. In near fine condition. A very sharp example.

Verne, Jules

The Mysterious Island: Wrecked in the Air.

New York : Scribner, Armstrong & Co., 1875.

First American edition, first English language edition in book form, and first authorized edition of the first part of the crossover sequel to Verne’s famous Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas and In Search of the Castaways. Slim octavo, original green cloth decorated in gilt, with forty-eight illustrations. Scribner Armstrong published this slim, double-column volumeContinue reading "The Mysterious Island: Wrecked in the Air."

Vizinczey, Stephen

In Praise of Older Women: The Amorous Recollections of András Vajda.

Toronto : Contemporary Canada Press, 1965.

First edition of the author’s classic work. Octavo, original cloth. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, “To Richard Needham, hoping he’ll enjoy it as much as I do his column Stephen Vizinczey.” Near fine in a very good dust jacket. Jacket design by Jack Jenson.

Frazer, Allan. [Sir Walter Scott; C.S. Lewis]

Sir Walter Scott 1771-1832: An Edinburgh Keepsake.

Edinburgh : Edinburgh University Press, 1971.

First edition of this compilation of speeches delivered by the annual President of the Edinburgh Sir Walter Scott Club. Octavo, original boards. Fine in a near fine price-clipped dust jacket.

Kerouac, Jack

Satori In Paris.

New York : Grove Press, 1966.

First edition of Kerouac’s penultimate novel. Octavo, original cloth. Association copy, inscribed by the author on the title page, “Tony’s copy- signed by his brother man Jacky Kerouac.” The recipient, Tony Sampras was the youngest brother of Kerouac’s wife, Stella. Tony and Kerouac were close, Kerouac called Tony two days before his death and theContinue reading "Satori In Paris."

Maugham, W. Somerset

The Razor’s Edge Original Dust Jacket Design Signed.

Garden City, NY : Doubleday Doran & Company, 1944.

Rare W. Somerset Maugham’s original ink sketch showing his dust jacket design concept for his greatest novel, The Razor’s Edge, executed on a blank Western Union telegram form, which was followed by the publisher pretty much to the letter. A striking piece of literary history demonstrating that the author’s intentions for the book were honoredContinue reading "The Razor’s Edge Original Dust Jacket Design Signed."

Edited by Ernest A. Baker. [John Steinbeck; Elaine Steinbeck]

Cassell’s French-English English-French Dictionary.

London : Cassell & Company, Limited, 1953.

Early printing of Cassell’s French-English English-French Dictionary from the library of American literary master John Steinbeck and his wife Elaine Steinbeck. Octavo, original cloth. Signed and dated by Steinbeck’s wife, Elaine Steinbeck, on the front free endpaper, “Elaine Steinbeck Paris 1954.” In very good condition.

Trollope, Anthony

The Macdermots of Ballycloran.

London : Chapman and Hall, nd.

Finely bound example of Trollope’s first published novel. Octavo, bound in three quarters morocco over pebbled boards with gilt titles and tooling to the spine, marbled endpapers. In very good condition.

Browning, Robert

Dramatis Personae.

London : Chapman and Hall, 1864.

First edition of Browning’s popular poetry collection. Octavo, original cloth. In very good condition. Ownership inscription. Small chip to the front free endpaper. With a note from H. Sotheran & Co. laid in.

Coetzee, J.M

Dusklands.

London : Vintage Books, 2004.

Early printing of the Nobel Prize-winning author’s first book. Octavo, original wrappers. Boldly signed by J.M. Coetzee on the title page. In fine condition.

Dumas, Alexandre

The Three Musketeers; or, the Feats and Fortunes of a Gascon Adventurer.

London : Bruce and Wyld, 1846.

First edition in English of Dumas’ masterpiece. Octavo, bound in full contemporary calf, gilt titles to the spine, raised gilt bands, marbled endpapers. Translated from the French by William Barrow. Barrow’s translation was the first of three English translations published in 1846 and is considered the most faithful to the original text. To conform to nineteenthContinue reading "The Three Musketeers; or, the Feats and Fortunes of a Gascon Adventurer."

The T-Shirts I Love.

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First edition of this work by the award-winning novelist. Octavo, original illustrated boards by Chip Kidd. Signed twice by Chip Kidd, once on the front panel and again on the rear panel. In fine condition. Translated by Philip Gabriel.

A Philip Roth Reader.

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First edition of this important compilation of Roth’s writings. Octavo, original half cloth. Boldly signed by Philip Roth on the title page. Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Jacket design by Steve Jenkins. Introduction by Martin Green.

Shaffer, Peter

Amadeus.

London : Andre Deutsch, 1980.

First edition of the playwright’s classic work. Octavo, original cloth. Lengthily signed by the author on the front free endpaper, “What use, after all is man, if not to teach God His lessons?” Peter Shaffer.” Fine in a near fine dust jacket. Front cover photograph by Nobby Clark.

Warren, Patricia Nell

The Front Runner.

New York : William Morrow & Company, Inc, 1974.

First edition of the first contemporary gay novel to achieve mainstream commercial and critical success. Octavo, original half cloth. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the half-title page, “For John- Let us love without hate among those who hate. Love Patricia Nell Warren.” Very good in a very good dust jacket. Jacket design by Bill Tinker.

Twain, Mark [Samuel L. Clemens]

Roughing It.

Hartford, Connecticut : American Publishing Company, 1872.

First edition, mixed state of Twain’s first semi-autobiographical work of travel literature, essentially a prequel to The Innocents Abroad, lacking the word ‘he’ on page 242 but with the advert present on page 592 (BAL 3337). Octavo, bound in three quarter morocco with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raisedContinue reading "Roughing It."

Theroux, Paul, [William Safire]

The London Embassy.

Boston : Houghton Mifflin Company, 1983.

First edition of the sequel to The Consul’s File. Octavo, original half cloth. Association copy, inscribed by the author on the title page, “For William Safire This is the companion volume and sequel, to The Consul’s File. With admiration & best wishes Paul Theroux.” The recipient, William Safire, was an important American author, Pulitzer Prize-winningContinue reading "The London Embassy."