ALBEE, Edward. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (Signed). NY: Atheneum, 1962. First Edition. Hard Cover. Signed by Author. Near Fine / Near Fine — Price-Clipped. Dust wrapper shows just a slight hint of edgewear and is price-clipped. Overall, a tight, bright copy of the first edition (stated) of this classic play made even more famous by the hit movie starring Taylor/Burton. Scarce in this protected condition. Signed by Mr. Albee on a bookplate affixed to the second free endpaper. $1,675.00
CHANDLER, Raymond. The Lady in the Lake. NY: Knopf, 1943. First Edition. Hard Cover. Near Fine / Near Fine. Bound in light green cloth, stamped in forest green. Only flaws to book are a bit of dustiness to edges and a small number 5649 written on the ffep. The dust wrapper has had some minor restoration work done to the top of the spine. Shows a little darkening to the rear panel. But no chips, tears to speak of. One of 6000 copies in the first edition. Overall, a tight, clean copy of the book in original dust wrapper — rare in this protected condition. Basis for the bizarre movie directed by George Haight of the same title that starred Robert Montgomery as Marlowe — but because of the “subjective camera” method — you rarely see the actor. $6,500.00
HANFF, Helene. 84 Charing Cross Road (Signed). NY: Grossman, 1970. First Edition. Hard Cover. Inscribed and Signed By the Author. Near Fine / Near Fine — Price-Clipped. Previous owner’s neat name on top of ffep. Dust wrapper is price-clipped. The first edition of this popular book on a book lover and a bookseller. Inscribed and signed by the author on the half-title page. This book was the basis for the 1987 David Hugh Jones film that starred Anne Bancroft, Judi Dench and Anthony Hopkins. The first edition is getting hard to find in this protected condition. Signed copies rarely appear. $995.00
HELLER, Joseph. Catch-22 (Signed). NY: Simon & Schuster, 1961. First Edition. Hard Cover. Signed. VG++ / VG+. This is the true first edition of the book in the first state dust jacket with the price of $5.95 on the front flap of the jacket and no blurb on rear panel. Bound in blue cloth, stamped in white. The dust jacket is tape re-inforced at the extremities with a few short tears repaired, some wrinkling, but overall bright and whole. Book shows 7 small stain dots to bottom edge and overall edgewear. A very collectible copy of a true twentieth century Literary Classic. Signed by the author on a bookplate affixed to the half-title page (with a COA in note form from Mr. Heller stating that the signed the bookplate). $2,450.00
JACKSON, Shirley. The Lottery. NY: Farrar, Straus & Co., 1949. First Edition. Hard Cover. VG+ / Near Fine / Price-clipped. The true first edition with publisher’s” FS” logo present on copyright page. Book shows uniform light foxing. Dust wrapper (which is price-clipped and probably a second state) is bright yellow, printed in black with a minor bit of edgewear to top front panel. Shows nicely! 306 pp. $950.00
JOYCE, James. Ulysses. NY: Random House, 1934. First American Edition. Hard Cover. VG++ / VG+ – Price-clipped. The dust jacket is price-clipped. The book has one small digit number written on the ffep. The jacket shows a light bit of wear to top of spine and top of rear panel. Overall, a VERY nice copy of the first U.S. edition of Joyce’s most popular work (stated on the copy right page). There is a date stamp on the rear endpaper of the book (Feb. 03 1934) . . . so the book could be some type of review copy. 768 pp. $2,250.00
KESSELRING, Joseph. Arsenic and Old Lace. ill. Photo-Illustrated. NY: Random House, 1941. First Edition. Hard Cover. VG++ / Near Fine. Book is bound in tan, cottony cloth, stamped in purple, one bumped corner. The true first edition (stated on copyright page). Produced by Howard Lindsay and Russell Crouse, and featuring Boris Karloff. Later made into the Frank Capra movie classic that starred Cary Grant. Dust wrapper has had a tiny professional repair to top of spine. A beautiful bright dustwrapper and a most acceptable first edition. $725.00
LEWIS, Sinclair. Elmer Gantry. NY: Harcourt Brace & Co., 1927. First Edition. Hard Cover. Fine / Near Fine. A stunning copy of the first edition of this important novel in the original dust jacket that was found in a glass covered bookcase that was rarely opened since the 1920’s. Just a little soiling to back panel (where dust seeped in over 80+ years). Exceedingly rare in this protected condition. 432 pp. $2,500.00
LOWRY, Malcolm. Under the Volcano. NY: Reynal & Hitchcock, 1947. First Edition. Hard Cover. Near Fine / Near Fine. Original $3.00 sales slip (from Harcourt, Brace) laid in. The dust wrapper has had some professional restoration done to the top of the spine and the top of the rear panel. The book shows light bumping. Overall, a tight, clean copy of the true first edition of this classic novel. In the first state d.w. with “Advance Critical Acclaim” blurbs by Warren, Aiken, et al, on the back panel. Basis for the John Houston film that starred Albert Finney in the lead role. $3,950.00
MALAMUD, Bernard. The Natural (w/signed bookplate). NY: Harcourt Brace & World, 1952. First Edition. Hard Cover. AUTHOR-SIGNED Bookplate. Near Fine / Near Fine. Dust wrapper shows a bit of yellowing to extremes and one small closed (undetectable) tear. A beautiful (probably unread) copy of the first edition of the author’s scarce first book. Bound in grey cloth. Sought after by both Baseball collectors and book collectors alike. A stunning copy! Laid in is a bookplate signed by the late author. $3,995.00
MERTON, Thomas. The Seven Storey Mountain (Signed). NY: Harcourt Brace & Co., 1948. Early Reprint. Hard Cover. Signed by Author. VG++ / VG++. Bound in black cloth, stamped in gold (without any of the usual fading). Housed in a nice second state dust wrapper (with the $3.00 price on the front flap and the statement “Author on the Left” on the rear panel. This book has an inscribed and signed sheet tipped in between the front free endpaper and the half-title page. A tight, clean copy of this important work by Merton. $2,250.00
MILLER, Arthur. Death of a Salesman (Signed). NY: Viking, 1949. First Edition. Hard Cover. Signed by Author. Near Fine / Near Fine. Miller’s landmark play, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award First Edition in the year of production. Presumably the first edition — this copy was bound in the tan cloth (versus the common orange cloth), printed in dark brown and unusual thus. Signed by the author on a bookplate affixed to the half-title page. The later-state dust wrapper (does not have the author’s picture on the rear flap and mentions that it won the Drama Critics’ Circle Award on the front d.w. flap but maintains the $2.50 price) is in beautiful condition — as is the book. $1,995.00
MORRISON, Toni. Sula (Signed). NY: Knopf, 1973. First Edition. Hard Cover. Inscribed and Signed. Near Fine / Near Fine. Front endpaper restored. The top edge of the pages shows a bit of soiling. Overall, a beautiful copy of this, the first edition of the author’s second book, inscribed, signed and dated on the half-title page in the year of publication (actually it was signed and dated in February — and the book was published in January). $1,650.00
NABOKOFF, Vladimir. Laughter in the Dark. IN: Bobbs-Merrill, 1938. First Edition. Hard Cover. Near Fine / Near Fine. Dust wrapper shows a bit of light vertical scuffing to front panel and the lightest edge wear. The book, bound in tan cloth and stamped in dark blue is tight and clean. The dust wrapper (which is cream-colored, printed in gold, Kelly green and black) is stunning. The scarce first edition of the author’s first book. Becoming difficult to find in this protected condition. $3,500.00
PUZO, Mario. The Godfather (w/signed photo). NY: Putnam, 1969. First Edition. Hard Cover. Signed Photo Laid in. VG++ / VG++. The First Edition. The book and dustwrapper are well above average. The dust wrapper shows a bit of wear to spine ends, but nothing significant. The book is tight and clean. Enclosed is a 3″ X 5″ Signed photo of Puzo accepting the Oscar for the movie. A very nice copy of the true first edition of this title that was the basis for the Coppola award winning movie(s). $1,775.00
RAWLINGS, Marjorie Kinnan. South Moon Under. NY: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1933. First Edition. Hard Cover. Near Fine / VG++. The scarce true first edition with the “A” on the copyright page. Green binding stamped in blue and gold is tight and clean. Endpapers professionally restored. The dust wrapper shows a bit of scuffing to spine ends and a bit of wrinkling to rear panel, but is overall bright and whole. A very nice copy of a very tough book. The author’s first book. $995.00
RUSHDIE, Salman. Midnight’s Children (Signed). NY: Knopf, 1981. First Edition. Hard Cover. Signed by Author. Near Fine / Near Fine. The true first edition of this book (precedes the British). Winner of the Booker Prize in year of publication and this book also won the “Booker of the Bookers” award. This book shows two mildly bumped corners, but is overall a most acceptable copy. Housed in the bright pink dust wrapper with no discernible flaws. The dust wrapper shows none of the typical fading to spine. Signed by the author on the title page. 446 pp. $1,350.00
SETH, Vikram. Mappings. Calcutta: Writers Workshop, 1981. First Edition. 8vo. Hard Cover. Near Fine / VG++. Previous owner’s neat small stamp on ffep. Two inch mark on title page. Bound in orange decorative cloth, stamped in gold. Preceded by a signed, limited edition of 150. This is the first “Flexiback” edition of Seth’s first book in glassine dust wrapper with the scarce wraparound band still in place. Actually scarcer than the signed, limited edition. Laid in is an ALS from the publisher, P. Lal. 72 pp. $1,200.00
TYLER, Anne. If Morning Ever Comes (Signed) . NY: Knopf, 1964. First Edition. Hard Cover. AUTHOR-SIGNED Bookplate. VG++ / VG++ Price-Clipped. The first edition of the author’s first book in the first state dust wrapper (albeit price-clipped) that has 10/64 on the bottom corner of the front flap. Dust wrapper shows one closed tear to top of rear panel and minimal chipping to top of spine. Book has been read, but is relatively tight and clean. Author-Signed Bookplate affixed to half-title page. Certainly above average and priced right. $1,250.00
VONNEGUT, Kurt, Jr.. Slaughterhouse-Five or The Children’s Crusade (Signed). NY: Delacorte, 1969. First Edition. Hard Cover. AUTHOR-SIGNED Bookplate. Near Fine / Near Fine — Price-Clipped. First edition of this, the author’s most notable novel — about the fire bombing of Dresden. This copy is signed by Paul Collins, and dated in year of publication. He had something to do with either the author or Delacorte Press, because this is a presentation copy of Dr. Charles Brown, who, according to a laid in note, found an error on Page 158 that has “already been brought to the author’s attention”. I cannot detect the error, so it may have to do with historical fact. A most handsome copy of a book that is getting harder to locate in collectable condition. A bookplate signed by Mr. Vonnegut is laid in. $3,250.00
WAUGH, Evelyn. Decline and Fall. London: Chapman & Hall, 1928. First British Edition. Hard Cover. VG+ / No Jacket. Spine extremes of book have been professionally restored. Small four digit number to front free endpaper. The scarce first edition/first state (with the proper names on pp. 168-169) of the author’s first book bound in the publisher’s original black and red “swirled” boards, stamped in gold. With the five drawings by the author present. Housed in a custom-made matching clam-shell box. 288 pp. $4,500.00
WILLIAMS, Tennessee. A Streetcar Named Desire. NY: New Directions, 1947. First Edition. Hard Cover. Near Fine / VG++. Previous owner’s neat ownership stamp to ffep. The first edition of this book, bound in pink boards, printed in black and white. Book is stunning with no discernible flaws. The dust wrapper shows some yellowing to top edge of front panel and crinkling and minor closed tears to top of back panel. A beautiful copy of this book that is seldom encountered in this condition. The author’s most desirable first edition. The $2.75 price on the bottom flap of the front d.w. is intact. $3,750.00