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 4248-4272 of 4655
London : Faber & Faber, 2002.
First edition in English of Kundera’s “most successful [novel] since The Unbearable Lightness of Being” (Los Angeles Times Book Review). Octavo, original boards. Inscribed by Milan Kundera on the title page. Fine in a fine dust jacket. Jacket design by Marry van Barr. Translated from the French by Linda Asher.
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Rome : Per Lacoubum Mazochium, 1510.
One of the earliest Latin translations of Homer’s epic poem, translated from the Greek by Roman Hellenic scholar Raphaello Maffei (Raphael of Volterra). Quarto, bound in contemporary vellum, rebacked, woodcut titles and printer’s device to the title page and at end of text. From the library of Robert R. Dearden, Jr. of Philadelphia with hisContinue reading "Odissea Per Raphaelem Volaterranum in Latinum Conversa (The Odyssey of Homer translated by Raphael of Volterra in Latin)."
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New York : Farrar Straus and Giroux, 1983.
First edition of the third novel from Roth to feature Nathan Zuckerman as the main character. Octavo, original cloth. Association copy, inscribed by Roth to his wife Claire Bloom on the title page, “To my dearest Claire- Who was there at Zuckerman’s birth and has helped me see him through his fury. My love and my love andContinue reading "The Anatomy Lesson."
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New York : Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1977.
Uncorrected proof of the first edition of Roth’s second book in a series portraying the life of the fictional professor David Kapesh. Quarto, original wrappers. Signed by Philip Roth on the title page. With a photograph of Roth signed by him. In fine condition. Housed in a custom cloth clamshell box. An uncommon proof.
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Boston : Little, Brown and Company, 1979.
First edition of Mary Oliver’s fourth book. Octavo, original cloth. Association copy, inscribed by the author in the year of publication, “June 22, 1979 Love to Ray and Nicky from Mary. Provincetown.” The recipients were close friends of the author in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Fine in a near fine dust jacket. Jacket design by Char Lappan.Continue reading "Twelve Moons."
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London : William Heinemann, 1906.
First edition of the author’s first book. Octavo, original cloth. With the author’s signature on the front pastedown on the Lemperly bookplate. Also, included is the author’s visiting card. In near fine condition, contemporary bookplate. Housed in a custom half morocco and chemise case.
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New York : The Viking Press, 1956.
First edition of the Nobel Prize-winning author’s fourth book. Octavo, original half cloth. Association copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, “For the Gabels with best wishes from an old exile to Evanston Saul Bellow.” The recipients were close friends of Bellow’s while he was a student at Northwestern University, where heContinue reading "Seize the Day."
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New York : The Viking Press, 1976.
First edition of the Nobel Prize-winning author’s account of his journey to Jerusalem. Octavo, original half cloth. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper in the year of publication, “To Mr. Bergstrom, who asks excellent questions Chicago, Nov 1, 76 Saul Bellow.” The recipient was journalist Goran Bergstrom. Fine in aContinue reading "To Jerusalem and Back: A Personal Account."
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New York : New Directions, 1947.
Early printing of Williams’ classic play, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1948. Octavo, original illustrated boards. association copy, inscribed or signed by several cast members for producer Danny Selznick. Signed by Marlon Brando, Kim Hunter, Jessica Tandy, and Karl Malden. Inscribed by Kim Hunter on the verso of the first blank: “LoveContinue reading "A Streetcar Named Desire."
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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 front free endpaper in the year of publication, “To Everett with all best wishes Patricia Nell Warren May 17, 1974.” Fine in a near fine dust jacket. Jacket design byContinue reading "The Front Runner."
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Philadelphia : C. Sherman, 5605, 1845-46.
First edition of the “first English translation of the Pentateuch in America,” the 1845 Hebrew-English Bible by one of the most prominent and influential figures in American Jewish history. Octavo, 5 volumes. Translated by Isaac Leeser. Bound in full contemporary calf, gilt titles and tooling to the spine. In near fine condition. A nice example,Continue reading "The Law of God."
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New York : D. Longworth, 1808.
First edition of “the most important Jewish lay leader of the early 19th century” Mordecai Noah’s early play, published when he was only 23 years old. 12mo, bound in modern calf, gilt titles to the spine, lacking the 2 advertisement leaves called for by Singerman. In near fine condition. Rare.
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Chicago/ New York : Herbert S. Stone/ Duffield, 1901, 1907.
Both the first and second editions of the Golfer’s Rubaiyat. Octavo, original cloth, two volumes, illustrated throughout. In near fine condition. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box.
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New York : The John Day Company, 1930.
First edition of this work on American popular music. Octavo, original cloth, illustrated. Introduction by George Gershwin. Boldly signed “Sincerely George Gershwin” on the dedication page. Additionally signed by conductor Charles Previn and tenor James Melton. Near fine in a very good dust jacket. Previn was an American film composer who was highly active atContinue reading "Tin Pan Alley."
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Geneve 1768.
First edition of one of Voltaire’s best-known works of prose. Octavo, original full period calf, gilt titles to the spine, red morocco spine label, raised bands, marbled endpapers. In good condition. Rare and desirable.
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New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 1934.
First American edition of Mann’s first novel in his acclaimed tetralogy. Octavo, original cloth, pictorial endpapers. Lengthily inscribed in the year of publication by Thomas Mann. Near fine in a very good dust jacket with some rubbing and chipping to the extremities. Translated from the German by H. T. Lowe-Porter. Rare and desirable signed andContinue reading "Joseph and His Brothers."
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Garden City, NY : Doubleday, Doran & Company, Inc, 1936.
First edition of this work by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author. Octavo, original cloth. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the title page, “Booth Tarkington, Indianapolis, May 9. 1940. Inscribed for Mr. Jerome Peltier.” Fine in a near fine dust jacket.
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New York : G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1895–97.
The Works of Washington Irving: The Author’s Autograph edition. Octavo, 40 volumes, uniformly bound in full morocco by the Knickerbocker Press, gilt titles and tooling to the spine, top edge gilt, marbled endpapers, with suede doublures and endleaves. One of 500 sets, this set contains a page of original manuscript by Irving tipped in toContinue reading "The Works of Washington Irving: The Autograph Edition [The Legend of Sleepy Hollow; Rip Van Winkle]."
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London : Gulielmus Pickering, 1824.
Rare second Pickering Diamond edition, large paper issue, with an additional engraved title page. 12 mo, bound in full morocco, gilt titles to the front panel, raised bands, marbled endpapers. In very good condition. Housed in a custom chemise and half morocco slipcase.
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Paris : Calmann Levy, 1895.
First edition of this novel by the Nobel Prize-winning French writer regarding tales based on Italian historical characters and events. Octavo, original printed wrappers and glassine wrapper, Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the half-title page, “Fernand Calmettes son vieil ami Anatole France.” The recipient, Fernand Calmettes was a writer and editor and contemporaryContinue reading "Le Puits de Sainte Claire."
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London : Henry Colburn, 1826-27.
First edition of Disraeli’s first novel. Octavo, original gray boards with printed spine labels, 5 volumes, half-titles present in Volumes 2 and 5, as issued; terminal ads in Volumes 1-4. Bookplates to each volume, in very good condition. Housed in a brown cloth clamshell box. Complete first editions are uncommon, especially in the original boards.
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London : Maclehose Press, 2008-2009.
First editions in English of each volume of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy. Octavo, three volumes, original boards. Each volume is signed by the translator Reg Keeland, with a quotation added by the translator from each novel in each book. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo reads, “Everyone has secrets. It’s just a matter of findingContinue reading "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo; The Girl Who Played with Fire; The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest."
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New York : Harpers & Brothers, Publishers, 1880.
First Harper’s Half-Hour Series edition of this duo of James novellas. 12mo, original wrappers as issued. In good condition.
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London : John Lane Company, 1915.
First edition, first issue without the 16 pp. of advertisements.of this literary highspot, one of the great novels of the first half of the twentieth century. Octavo, original cloth. In near fine condition with light rubbing to the extremities.
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Fine Bindings and Sets
First Edition
Fine Bindings and Sets
First Edition
