Literature

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."

A Philip Roth Reader.

.

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."

Farrell, James T. [William Safire]

Studs Lonigan. A Trilogy Containing Young Lonigan, The Young Manhood of Studs Lonigan, and Judgment Day.

New York : The Modern Library, [1938].

First edition, early printing of Farrell’s well-regarded trilogy. Octavo, bound in three quarter morocco with gilt titles and raised bands to the spine, marbled endpapers, top edge gilt. Association copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, “Jan 9/ 1950 For Bill Safire with best wishes Jim Farrell.” The recipient, William Safire wasContinue reading "Studs Lonigan. A Trilogy Containing Young Lonigan, The Young Manhood of Studs Lonigan, and Judgment Day."

Coetzee, J.M

Dusklands.

London : Penguin Press, 1982.

First paperback edition of the Nobel Prize-winning author’s first book. Octavo, original wrappers. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the title page, “For Ken Hubner with best wishes J.M. Coetzee Cape Town April 27, 1987.” In near fine condition.

Sohn, Amy; Introduction by Sarah Jessica Parker

Sex and the City: The Movie.

New York : Harper Collins, 2008.

First edition of this work on the first movie of Sex and the City. Quarto, original boards, illustrated throughout. Association copy, inscribed by Sarah Jessica Parker on the half-title page, “To Andre- All my love Sarah.” The recipient, Andre Leon Talley is fashion journalist, and the former creative director and American editor-at-large of Vogue magazine.Continue reading "Sex and the City: The Movie."

Burton, Richard F

A Plain and Literal Translation of the Arabian Nights’ Entertainments, now entitled The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night… [with] Supplemental Nights.

Benares : Printed by the Kamashastra Society for Private Subscribers only, .

First Burton edition of The Arabian Nights. Octavo, 16 volumes, bound in three quarter red crushed morocco, gilt titles and tooling to the spine, raised bands, top edge gilt, illustrated. In near fine condition.

Dahl, Roald

Fantastic Mr. Fox.

New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 1970.

First edition of Dahl’s classic children’s work in the tradition of The Adventures of Peter Rabbit, this is a “garden tale” of farmer versus vermin, or vice versa. Octavo, original beige cloth. Boldly signed by Roald Dahl on the front free endpaper. Illustrated by Donald Chaffin. Jacket design by Donna Lampell. Fine in a nearContinue reading "Fantastic Mr. Fox."

Coupland, Douglas

Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture.

New York : St. Martin's Press, 1991.

First edition of the author’s groundbreaking first novel. Octavo, original illustrated wrappers. Boldly signed and dated by the author on the half-title page, who has added a large drawing of his hand. In near fine condition. Illustrations by Paul Rivoche. Design by Judith Stagnitto. First printings are uncommon signed.

Apollinaire, Guillaume. [Pablo Picasso]

Alcools: Poems (1898-1913). Avec un Portrait de L’Auteur par Pablo Picasso.

Paris : Mercure de France, 1913.

First edition of Apollinaire’s first collection of poems, signed by him and Pablo Picasso. Octavo, bound in three quarter morocco with gilt titles and raised bands to the spine, patterned endpapers, frontispiece portrait of the poet by Pablo Picasso. Association copy, inscribed by both Apollinaire and Pablo Picasso on front free endpaper, “A A P.N.Continue reading "Alcools: Poems (1898-1913). Avec un Portrait de L’Auteur par Pablo Picasso."

Crane, Stephen

The Red Badge of Courage.

New York : D. Appleton and Company, 1895.

First edition, first printing with page [235] advertising the three works of Gilbert Parker’s Best Books, and the last page of advertisements (page 238) ending with The Land of the Sun, by Christian Reid; last gathering, including ads on laid paper. Octavo, original publisher’s tan cloth. In very good condition. From the library of Jean Hersholt, actor andContinue reading "The Red Badge of Courage."

Dickinson, Emily

The Single Hound. Poems of a Lifetime.

Boston : Little, Brown and Company, 1914.

First edition one of only 595 copies of Dickinson’s fourth collection of poetry. Octavo, original cloth. The Thomas Bird Mosher copy with his bookplate. Mosher was a notable private press publisher out of Portland, Maine. In fine condition. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell and chemise case. An exceptional example with noted provenance.

Twain, Mark. [Samuel Clemens]

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Tom Sawyer’s Comrade).

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

First edition, first issue of Mark Twain’s masterpiece. Octavo, bound in full dark green morocco with morocco spine label lettered in gilt, raised bands to the spine, mar top edge gilt, with 174 illustrations by Edward W. Kemble. With all of the agreed upon first issue points for the clothbound book: page 9 with “Decided”Continue reading "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Tom Sawyer’s Comrade)."

Abish, Walter

Duel Site.

New York : Tibor de Nagy Editions, 1970.

First edition of the award winning poet’s first book. Octavo, original pictorial wrappers, illustrated. One of 300 copies, 1 to 0 of which are signed. Signed by the author on the title page. In near fine condition. Rare.

[Dilliard, Annie]

The Poetry Collection of Annie Dillard.

: Various Publishers, .

Rare collection of dozens of volumes of poetry from the collection of American author Annie Dillard, each signed or inscribed to her and with her bookplate. Approximately 35 volumes, the collection includes inscribed first editions and early printings of Fred Chappell’s Wild Mountain, Leo Connellan’s First Selected Poems, Karen Connelly’s The Border Surrounds Us, PaulContinue reading "The Poetry Collection of Annie Dillard."

Wolfe, Tom; Umberto Eco; Don DeLillo; Joyce Carol Oates; Margaret Atwood; John Ashbery; Robert Stone; John Updike; et al

Modern Authors Signed Baseball.

St. Louis : Rawlings, .

Rare Rawlings Official National League baseball signed by over 20 authors including: Peter Dexter (on the sweetspot), Tom Wolfe, Umberto Eco, Don DeLillo, Joyce Carol Oates, Margaret Atwood, John Ashbery, Robert Stone, John Updike, Paul Auster; Cynthia Ozick; Neil Sheehan; Richard Ford, Peter Gay, T. Coraghessan Boyle, and Ann Beattie In near fine condition. HousedContinue reading "Modern Authors Signed Baseball."

Rand, Ayn

The Fountainhead.

Indianapolis : Bobbs-Merrill Company, 1943.

First edition, first issue with first edition stated on the copyright page of the author’s first major novel, as well as her first best-seller. Octavo, original red cloth. Association copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, “To Jack L. Warner – Thank you for your courage and for a magnificent picture –Continue reading "The Fountainhead."

London, Jack

The Game.

New York : The Macmillan Company, 1905.

First Edition, second issue of London’s tragic boxing tale with the magazine rubberstamp of Metropolitan Magazine Co. to the copyright page. Octavo, original cloth, pictorial endpapers, with illustrations and decorations by Henry Hutt and T. C. Lawrence. In good condition with a child’s drawings to a few pages. Ownership inscriptions.

Rawls, Wilson

Summer of the Monkeys.

Garden City : Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1976.

First edition of this award-winning novel by the author of Where the Red Fern Grows. Octavo, original half cloth. Inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, “Sincerely, Wilson Rawls.” Very good in a very good dust jacket. Jacket illustration by William Maughan. Jacket typography by Lewis Friedman.

Frank, Robert

Les Americains [The Americans].

Paris : Delpire, 1957.

First edition of the photographer’s masterpiece with 83 black-and-white full-page photogravures. Oblong quarto, original boards illustrated by Saul Steinberg. In fine condition. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell and chemise box.