THE HUMAN COMEDY; [gift binding]
Saroyan, William First edition. Re-bound. Basis for the 1943 movie of the same name starring Mickey Rooney. Or, perhaps -- as the novel originated from the film script Saroyan wrote for MGM (for which he won the Academy Award for "Best Story") -- vice versa. Either way, this copy is a somewhat interesting one. At first glance it appears to have been bound in quarter leather over marbled boards. But on closer inspection, the "marbled paper" appears to have been painted on, and the leather, though not shiny, feels a bit like a thick "patent leather." 8vo quarter black imitation leather with gilt stamped raised spine bands; gilt-stamped red, textured spine label (coated and/or painted corduroy?); embossed endpapers (wallpaper?); all edges speckled. Contemporaneous gift inscription to first blank (For Alden/ at Christmas time/ December 1943/ love [illegible]") otherwise fine. Deftly produced and still quite attractive.- $175
- $175
OLD NEW YORK: THE SPARK: (The ‘Sixties)
Wharton, Edith First edition. Third volume in her tetralogy of novellas covering the 1840's to 1870's, decade by decade. This one set during the Civil War and involving a chance encounter with Walt Whitman. The 4 volumes in the series were originally sold both individually and as a slipcased set. Small 8vo blue ribbed-cloth boards with printed labels on front and spine (front label featuring a Civil War battle scene); 109 pages. Fine with just a hint of rubbing to tips; in very good to near fine dust jacket with spine slightly toned and small chips to spine corners, and 1/4" chip to lower corner front panel. Increasingly scarce in dust jacket.- $200
- $200
A NATIVE AMERICAN; [signed, limited edition]
Saroyan, William First edition. One of a designated 450 copies SIGNED BY SAROYAN. Illustrated by "hans." Collects 8 short stories previously appearing in magazines. 4to beige cloth stamped in olive-green; 80 pages. Near fine with tears to front hinge paper which appear to have been caused by the binding threads and touch of offset from illustrations to opposing pages.- $150
- $150
CABBAGES AND KINGS
Henry, O. First edition of his first book. [Clarkson p.17, Blanck 16270]. The title was taken from Lewis Carroll's poem, "The Walrus and the Carpenter," which, along with situations encountered by O. Henry himself in Honduras in the late 1890s, provided inspiration for characters and plot points in these interlinking stories set in the fictitious Republic of Anchuria. (Wikipedia). 8vo black cloth boards stamped in orange, green and white; 344 pages. Leather "Blairhame" bookplate of noted collector Natalie (Knowlton) Blair to front pastedown. Very nearly fine with light offset to front endpaper (from the bookplate) and just a touch of minor wear. Housed in blue leather-backed slipcase and matching cloth-covered chemise. Uncommon in such nice condition.- $1,250
- $1,250
ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST
Kesey, Ken First UK edition. Although the copyright page states 1962, this edition actually published in 1963 [Bruccoli, FPAA, vol. 1]. This copy with line blacked out on copyright page, as often seen. After the release of the first U.S. edition, threat of a libel suit forced Kesey to change his "Red Cross woman" character to a man. References to the "Red Cross" woman in the original version appear on pages 9, 11, 35-6 and 85-6 (at least, there may be other instances of which we are unaware). This copy with pp. 9 and 11 unchanged but pp. 35-6 and 85-6 on cancel leaves inserted on stubs and with substantial portions rewritten to change the "Red Cross woman" character to a man called "Public Relation." First instances on both leaves appear on p. 35, line 11, which reads "Ten-thirty Public Relation comes in." and first line p. 86, which reads, "Public Relation with the bloated face." Interestingly, the fact that references to the "Red Cross woman" still occur on pages 9 and 11, RESULTS IN THE EXISTENCE OF TWO DIFFERENT CHARACTERS IN THIS VERSION OF THE STORY, albeit with the "Red Cross woman" being a very minor one. [We would be curious to know if copies exist without the cancels -- in which case, p. 35 would still read "Ten-thirty the Red Cross lady comes in." and p. 86, "Red Cross woman named Gwen-doe-lin."). Also whether or not the blacked-out line in the copyright page corresponds to these changes in any way]. 8vo burgundy, simulated cloth (i.e., paper) boards stamped in gilt and teal on spine; 311 pages. Very good with lower front corner bumped and triangular area of fading at base of spine (otherwise would be near fine); in very good dust jacket with bubbling and creasing to laminate, as sometimes seen, but otherwise only very mild wear.- $575
- $575
ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST
Kesey, Ken First edition of his first book. Named one of Time Magazine's 100 Best English-language Novels from 1923 to 2005. Basis for the classic movie starring Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher and Danny DeVito. A story evolving from Kesey's time working as an orderly at a mental health facility during which he spoke with patients and witnessed the inner workings of the institution -- sometimes while on psychoactive drugs himself. PLEASE NOTE: the lines relating to the "Red Cross woman" character appearing on pp. 9 & 86 are the same in at least the first two printings of the Viking edition and are therefore not valid issue points. As best we can tell, the points being cited were mistakenly perpetuated by Kesey himself in an inscription recorded at auction in 2005. He did have to make changes to the text due to the threat of a lawsuit against him for libel over the character of the "Red Cross woman" but those changes came after the first Viking printing. Also, the Kerouac blurb on the front flap of the dust jacket differentiates the first printing dust jacket from later printing ones (and is not technically an issue point). 8vo green cloth boards stamped in yellow on spine; top edge tan (or perhaps pale pink or peach?); 311 pages. Near fine in very good, correct first-printing dust jacket with spine toned, and with few rubbed creases and small tears.- $2,500
- $2,500
THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS; (review copy with publisher’s slip laid in)
Lewis, C. S. First edition. Advance review copy. Publisher's slip with publication date and price filled in by hand ("February 11th" and "5s"). The classic cautionary tale told in the form of a series of letters from the senior demon, "Screwtape," imparting his tricks of the trade to his nephew and apprentice, "Wormwood." Small 8vo black cloth boards with paper spine label lettered in black and ruled in green; 160 pages. Near fine with minor production error resulting in slight indentation to last few leaves; in near fine, price-clipped dust jacket with only a touch of light foxing and few small tears. Quite scarce in dust jacket, especially one as nice as this.- $16,000
- $16,000
THE LIFE AND OPINIONS OF TRISTRAM SHANDY, GENTLEMAN; (true first editions, complete in nine volumes, and signed in 3 volumes, as called for)
(Sterne, Laurence) First edition of each of the nine volumes, with the first two volumes the correct ones -- as printed in York by Anne Ward in 1759 -- i.e., with 1760 date but without place or publisher's imprint. With STERNE'S SIGNATURE in ink at head of first text pages Vols. V, VII, and IX, as called for [Rothschild 1970; Allibone p. 2243; Monkman, "Tristram in Dublin," Transactions of the Cambridge Bibliographical Society, Vol. 7, No. 3 (1979), p.343-68]. The complete set is finely and uniformly bound in full red leather by Reviere and Son (stamped so at base of each front turn-in) and housed in (3) matching red leather-rimmed slipcases. Each volume with rug-inspired bookplate on front pastedown of George Hewitt Myers (1875-1957), founder of The Textile Museum in Washington D.C. (now at George Washington University). VOLUME I (without frontispiece that was added to the second, London edition) with black rectangles pp.73-4 and with leaf I6 presumed a cancel, as called for, as p.140:12 reads "a le pere." VOLUME III with engraved frontispiece meant for Vol. IV, as usually seen, and inserted marbled leaf where called for. HALF-TITLES present where called for, i.e., in Vols. IV, V, VI and IX. FIRST STATE of Vol. VII with "Gentleman" on title page in small capitals with large initial capital, errata on verso of title page, and incorrect chapter headings following p.123. VOLUME IX pp.[v-vi] in dedication variant "b" (no known priority) with division at "posteri" and correct catchword "ori" p.[v] but p.[vi] beginning incorrectly "riori." Nine 16mo full red-leather volumes with raised spine bands, gilt-lettered spines, gilt-decorated board edges, elaborate gilt-decorated leather turn-ins; all edges gilt. Housed in three matching slipcases covered in heavy, textured cloth with inner and outer openings rimmed in red leather and insides lined with floral-motif paper. Spines and board edges slightly darkened, covers showing few tiny rubs and nicks to leather, offset from turn-ins to endpapers and, less so, from bookplates; few volumes with front endpapers showing a shallow chip or two to edges; minor light stain to upper inner corners of few leaves in Vol. V, repair to edges front endpaper in Vol. I. Altogether a lovely, near fine set of the true first editions of all nine volumes and elusive as such.- $25,000
- $25,000
A DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE: In which the Words are deduced from their Originals, and Illustrated in their Different Significations by Examples from the best Writers; [Second edition]
Johnson, Samuel Second edition of the first standard English-language Dictionary. Issued in parts beginning in the same year as the first edition. "Dr. Johnson performed with his Dictionary the most amazing, enduring and endearing one-man feat in the field of lexicography" (Printing and the Mind of Man, 201). One of the many pleasures of having these volumes at hand is flipping through the pages reading various passages quoted from the works of Swift, Donne, Shakespeare, the Spectator [Addison & Steele], Locke, Bacon, Fairy Queen [Edmund Spenser], Dryden, et al, that Johnson employs to demonstrate word usage. Two folio volumes bound in full polished leather ornately bordered in gilt along outer edges and in blind along inner edges; gilt-stamped spines, each with 5 raised gilt-decorated double bands, 6 gilt-stamped compartments and a gilt-stamped red leather titling label; marbled endpapers; not paginated. The occasional minor stain and some sections slightly more age-darkened than others but text still quite bright and overall both volumes nearly fine.- $12,500
- $12,500
WATERGRAPHS
Theroux, Alexander First edition. Number 55 of 100 SIGNED, numbered copies. A story for bibliophiles, poking fun at (in no particular order) collectors, collecting, Boston accents, auction houses, etc., and, in the 3-page "A Note on the Type," typeface credits in general (". Rubberfab is a simple readable typeface that gives a feeling of calm, accessibility, and submission"). 8vo gilt-stamped blue linen boards; issued without dust jacket; 27 pages plus colophon leaf. Fine. Quite scarce.- $250
- $250
THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY: The Fellowship of the Ring | The Two Towers | The Return of the King; [first printings/impressions]
Tolkien, J. R. R. First edition, first printing or impression of each of the three volumes in his famed "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. Rebound in gilt-stamped full red leather and housed in red cloth-covered slipcase. A lovely set with all 3 folding maps present and in fine condition. First volume with text block mildly aged, red top-edge stain nearly faded away, and light staining to margins of publisher's colophon page at rear; second volume showing only a tiny stain to fore edge; third volume showing only minor fore edge staining; all three volumes with the occasional marginal finger smudge. Overall near fine. An understatedly attractive, pleasing set.- $17,500
- $17,500
MARDI: and a Voyage Thither
Melville, Herman First U.S. edition. Two volumes. His third book and first work of pure fiction -- in his brief preface to volume 1, Melville notes that his first "two narratives of voyages in the Pacific . were received with incredulity" and expresses hope for this fictional tale of an American sailor abanding his whaling vessel to explore the South Pacific to be accepted as true. 8vo embossed dark brown "T-cloth" with blind-stamped rule about 1/8th inch from edges (priority unknown); gilt-stamped spines; yellow coated endpapers; 365 & 387 pages plus 8 pages ads in 2nd volume [BAL 13658]. Near fine with professional restoration to spine ends and corners and occasional light foxing, primarily to volume 2. Yellow coated endpapers remarkably fresh and clean. Housed in custom light-brown cloth slipcase with gilt lettered spine.- $3,000
- $3,000
KIDNAPPED: Being Memoirs of the Adventures of David Balfour in the Year 1751; [first issue]
Stevenson, Robert Louis First edition. Stevenson classic tale of the adventures of a Scottish boy cheated out of his inheritance by a greedy uncle who has him kidnapped and put on a ship to the Carolinas. First issue with "business" vs. "pleasure" p. 40: 11, other textual points as called for, and ads correctly dated "5G.4.86" and "5B.4.86" [Beineke 378]. 8vo russet cloth boards with gilt-stamped spine; black coated endpapers; frontispiece map; 311 pages plus ads. Very good or better with bookseller blindstamp of W. H. Smith & Son to front endpaper, spine somewhat cocked, barest rubbing to publisher's name at base of spine, faint staining to covers and top edge, and minor cracks to endpapers at hinges which are still tight. Folding map at front quite fine.- $2,250
- $2,250
A GOOD MAN IS HARD TO FIND: and Other Stories
O'Connor, Flannery First edition. Her second book. In the second-issue dust jacket with reviews for this book on rear panel (vs. for Wise Blood). Near fine in near fine, price-clipped dust jacket with red portion on spine faded to pink as often seen. Increasingly scarce.- $750
- $750
THE UNKNOWN SHORE
O'Brian, Patrick First edition. SIGNED BY O'BRIAN on the title page. A pre-Aubrey-Maturin seafaring novel featuring midshipman Jack Byron and surgeon's mate Tobias Barrow (considered by some to be early prototypes for Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin). Near fine with hint of spotting to page top edges; in very good dust jacket with light rubbing to edges and folds, and red background of spine faded but lettering still quite bright. Scarce to rare signed.- $1,500
- $1,500
NAKED LUNCH
Burroughs, William S. First U.S. edition, and the first edition in hardback (originally published in 1959 by Olympia Press in paperwraps). Though copyright page dated 1959, this edition actually published March 21, 1962 [Maynard and Miles, A2b]. Near fine with upper board corners crimped; in very good dust jacket with lightly rubbed creasing to upper edges of spine and front panel and red portions of spine gently toned to soft pink-orange.- $350
- $350
TELL ME A RIDDLE: A Collection
Olsen, Tillie First edition of her first book, a collection of short stories. There were reportedly only 500 copies in this hardcover issue. Fine in near fine dust jacket with scant edge rubbing and white spine lettering slightly tanned. Scarce in this nice condition.- $450
- $450
ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN: (Tom Sawyer’s Comrade)
Twain, Mark First edition, earliest state of the cloth issue. Rebound in lovely full-leather binding by Bayntun-Riviere with portions of original covers and spine bound in at rear. First state points from various sources present in this copy are as follow: title page and page 283 cancels; frontispiece portrait with cloth under bust visible and "Heliotype" imprint; p.(9) "Decided" in chapter heading for chapter six; p.(13) "Him and another man" listed incorrectly at page 88; page 57, line 11 up ".with the was."; page 59, line 7 up last word in sentence "le" and line 6 up "d" in "would" in broken type with top of stem pointing to left; page 143 "l" missing in "Col" in illustration at top line of text, and line 7 with "b" in "body" broken. 8vo full green leather with all edges tooled in gilt, ornately gilt-tooled inner dentelles on leather turn-ins, covers boarded in gilt; five gilt-tooled raised spine bands with 3 gilt compartments for title, author, and date, and four with fleur-de-lis cornered box design; green marbled endpapers; all page edges gilt. Foxing to first blank leaf and, less so, to half-title page otherwise fine.- $9,500
- $9,500
A HORSE’S TALE
Twain, Mark First edition. Novel written partially in the voice of a horse named "Soldier Boy" at a fictional frontier outpost (Wikipedia). 8vo red cloth boards lettered in white on front and spine and with illustration of woman on horse in white, black, and brown on front; illustrations by Lucius Hitchcock; 153 pages. Very good to near fine with small bookseller's ticket to bottom left corner front endpaper, touch of minor foxing to frontis tissue, spine slightly toned, and publisher's name at base of spine gently rubbed.- $150
- $150
ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN: (Tom Sawyer’s Comrade)
Twain, Mark First U.S. edition. Mixed state with the following first issue points: title page tipped-in; "Him and another man" listed incorrectly in list of illustrations; ".with the was." p.57:11[up]. Also, with the following later issue points: p.155 final "5" in folio slightly larger than the first; p.283 bound in (BAL's state "3"--as usually seen); and cloth not visible in frontis photo [BAL 3415]. Near fine with frontis leaf and tissue guard lightly foxed and professional repair to spine ends which have been touched up and strengthened.- $3,500
- $3,500
A CONNECTICUT YANKEE IN KING ARTHUR’S COURT
Twain, Mark First edition, issued simultaneously with the UK edition. Mixed state without "s"-like ornament in caption p.[59] but with perfect type on p.[72]. 8vo olive-green cloth boards stamped in gilt on spine and gilt blue and black on front; floral endpapers; 575 pages plus 2 pages of ads. This copy with "Protective Ass'n Publishers' & Booksellers" subscription ticket affixed to rear endpaper lettered "O" and numbered "2874." Very good to neear fine with only minor soiling and edge wear. [BAL 3429].- $1,250
- $1,250
LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI
Twain, Mark First U.S. edition. Twain's memoir of his days as a Mississippi steamboat pilot prior to the Civil War his trip along the river from St. Louis to New Orleans following the war. Second issue/state without the tail piece illustration of Twain in flames on p.441 and with caption on p.443 reading "The St. Charles Hotel." Tall 8vo (or small 4to) brown cloth boards stamped in gilt and black on front and spine; 624 pages. Very good with cloth at spine ends nicked and lightly rubbed, gilt illustration on spine a little dulled, fore edges faintly foxed, and the occasional spotting to margins.- $500
- $500
THE COMMODORE; [signed, limited edition]
O'Brian, Patrick First U.S. edition. Number 162 of 200 numbered copies SIGNED BY O'BRIAN. Fine in fine dust jacket with price clipped, as issued. Publisher's bookmark listing the titles in the series in order laid in. Housed in near fine publisher's slipcase showing a mild crease and few small rubs.- $350
- $350
MASTER AND COMMANDER; [first Aubrey-Maturin novel]
O'Brian, Patrick First UK edition of the first book in O'Brian's popular series featuring Captain Jack Aubrey of the Royal Navy and ship's surgeon Stephen Maturin. The basis, in part, for the 2003 movie "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" starring Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany. 8vo imitation blue cloth boards, gilt stamped spine; 350 pages. Near fine with thin line at base of spine toned to tan and small separation in front hinge paper (still quite tight); in near fine, price-clipped dust jacket with subtle toning to spine and barest wear. Increasingly scarce.- $1,500
- $1,500