Catalog 150

[Penzance], [Morrab Library], 1997. Le Carre's speech accepting the presidency of the Morrab Library. Computer printout; thirteen pages; double-spaced on cream paper; one of approximately 50 copies signed by Le Carre. Fine.   [#911061] $375

Philadelphia & New York, Lippincott, (1960). Her only book, a huge bestseller upon publication which won the Pulitzer Prize, was selected for two different book clubs, and was made into an Academy Award-winning film. The first edition (i.e., first printing, which has been estimated at having been 5000 copies) is not only very scarce, it is virtually impossible to find in collectable condition due to a number of factors: a large percentage of copies of the first printing went to libraries; the dust jacket is unlaminated and printed in dark ink, which tends to rub and show the white paper through the ink; and, because it is one of the best-loved books in American literature, copies tend to have been read, handled, passed around, and re-read -- and show the wear and tear of such use. This copy has a bit of a lean to the spine; otherwise it is fine in a fine dust jacket with only the most minute bits of rubbing at the folds and the spine extremities. Probably the nicest copy of this book we've ever seen, and certainly the nicest in the past decade or more. A nearly immaculate copy, completely unrestored, and virtually impossible to find in this condition. From the collection of Bruce Kahn.   [#911062] SOLD

Chicago, University of Chicago, 1976. One of the most sought-after titles in recent American fiction, two long interrelated stories of a family for whom "there was no clear line between religion and fly-fishing." Published by the university press as a favor to a retiring professor, the book became a surprise success, first gaining readership through word of mouth recommendations and eventually necessitating many later printings, illustrated and gift editions. Basis for the Robert Redford film featuring Craig Sheffer, Brad Pitt, Tom Skerritt and Emily Lloyd. Slight foxing on top edge, else fine in a price-clipped, else fine dust jacket with very subtle spine fade.   [#911063] $2,500

NY, Rinehart, (1948). His first book, one of the great novels of World War II, and one of the top hundred classics of the last century. Fine in a fine dust jacket with the lettering bright white. A much nicer than usual copy of this stunning debut novel. Burgess 99.   [#911064] $4,500

NY, Rinehart, (1948). His first book, one of the great novels of World War II, and one of the top hundred classics of the last century. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket: a beautiful, crisp copy, with virtually none of the rubbing to the bottom edge of the boards that typically afflicts this title, in a beautiful, crisp dust jacket, with no rubbing to the black areas and with the spine completely unfaded and unrubbed, and with the white letters on the spine astonishingly still white. A stunning copy. Burgess 99. From the collection of Bruce Kahn.   [#911065] SOLD

NY, Harcourt Brace, (1952). His first book, one of the great baseball novels of all time and basis for a well-received movie. Inscribed by the author in the year of publication to Ray Teal who, along with Malamud, was employed at Oregon State at the time. An interesting inscription: "For Ray Teal/ in place of the wrestling/ match we never got to/ Bern," and dated "July, 1952." Trace shelf wear to cloth at extremities; still a fine copy in red boards, in a near fine dust jacket with a couple tiny tears at the crown. There is no priority established between the copies in red, blue or gray boards, but the red and blue states both seem to be considerably scarcer than the gray. A scarce first edition, and especially so with a contemporary inscription. Housed in a custom clamshell box. From the collection of Bruce Kahn.   [#911066] SOLD

London, Heinemann, 1944. The first British edition, preceded by the American edition. Probably the author's most popular work, in no small part because of its appeal to later generations who felt spiritually bankrupted by traditional Western lifestyles. Filmed by Edmund Goulding in 1946 with Tyrone Power, Gene Tierney, John Payne, Clifton Webb, and Anne Baxter (who won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar). It was remade by John Byrum in 1984 with Bill Murray and Teresa Russell. Fine in a fine dust jacket with none of the usual spine fading, and just a touch of soiling. A nice copy of a very poorly manufactured volume, and a book that despite originally receiving a mixed critical reception has been established as a classic. Burgess 99.   [#911067] $1,750

NY, Random House, (1965). McCarthy's first book, which won a Faulkner Foundation Award for best first novel of the year. Although the book was successful enough to go into a second printing, fewer than 3000 copies were sold in total, and it was a quarter century before McCarthy's All the Pretty Horses won the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award and brought him recognition beyond the small, passionate circle of devotees who had been aware of him over the years. This book is notorious for several flaws: the front flap tends to detach at the fold from excessive scoring in the bindery, and the white jacket is susceptible to yellowing and soiling. This copy is fine in a fine dust jacket, without any of the aforementioned flaws. The top edge stain is still bright green, unlike any other copy we've seen. A beautiful copy of an important first book. From the collection of Bruce Kahn.   [#911068] SOLD

NY, Random House, (1965). The uncorrected proof copy of McCarthy's first book, which won a Faulkner Foundation Award for best first novel of the year. Although the book was successful enough to go into a second printing, fewer than 3000 copies were sold in total, and it was a quarter century before McCarthy's All the Pretty Horses won the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award and brought him recognition beyond the small, passionate circle of devotees who had been aware of him over the years. Several tiny ink spots to rear cover and spine; very near fine in wrappers, with custom clamshell case. An uncommon advance issue of the author's scarce first book, seldom seen these days, especially in collectible condition. From the collection of Bruce Kahn.   [#911069] SOLD

NY, Random House, (1968). His scarce second novel, the total sales of which amounted to 2705 copies. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket. A beautiful copy of a book that appears to be at least as scarce as his first and seldom turns up in fine condition, the soft paper jacket being especially prone to wear. From the collection of Bruce Kahn.   [#911070] SOLD

NY, Random House, (1979). His fourth book, which many considered his best, at least until the Border Trilogy and The Road (and some even still). Suttree sold fewer than 3000 copies in the original edition. Fine in a fine dust jacket with just a hint of a wrinkle to the lower front panel. From the collection of Bruce Kahn.   [#911071] SOLD

NY, Random House, (1985). The uncorrected proof copy of his fifth book, a novel of the Old West, based on an actual series of events in 1849-1850 in Texas and Mexico, and rendered with an eye to bringing to life the surreal violence of the time and place. Recently voted one of the five best works of American fiction of the last quarter century in a survey conducted by The New York Times Book Review. McCarthy's first five books sold fewer than 15,000 copies total -- this title selling only 1883 copies before it was remaindered. Tiny spot on half title page; still fine in wrappers, with publisher's promotional sheet laid in. A scarce proof, in our experience. From the collection of Bruce Kahn.   [#911072] SOLD

NY, Knopf, 1992, 1994, 1998. Three volumes. Each volume is a first edition and is signed by the author. McCarthy had for years enjoyed a small but respectable following in literary circles; All the Pretty Horses, with its timeless rite-of-passage themes and evocative language, backed by the enthusiasm of McCarthy's new publisher, propelled the notoriously private author to bestsellerdom. Each volume is fine in a fine dust jacket; the three are housed in a custom cloth clamshell case with leather spine label. From the collection of Bruce Kahn.   [#911073] SOLD

NY, Knopf, 2005. Signed by the author on a tipped-in leaf as issued by the publisher. Basis for the Coen Brothers film that won four Academy Awards including Best Picture. Fine in a fine dust jacket.   [#911074] $1,600

Boston, Houghton Mifflin Co., 1940. Slight foxing on front fly, tiny "Editorial Copy" stamp on rear endpaper; else fine in a fine dust jacket, in custom cloth clamshell case. A lovely and crisp copy of the author's excellent first book. From the collection of Bruce Kahn.   [#911075] SOLD

NY, Simon & Schuster, (1969). A review copy of his first book. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket with review slip laid in. From the collection of Bruce Kahn.   [#911076] SOLD

NY, Simon & Schuster, (1969). The uncorrected proof copy of his first book. Tall, pad-bound wrappers, with glue strip spine. A very fragile format and the earliest state of his first book to have surfaced. Signed by the author. A little dusty, else fine, and protected in a custom clamshell case. From the collection of Bruce Kahn.   [#911077] SOLD

(Stone Harbor), Meadow Run Press, (1996). Essays on and tales of angling, by one of the most respected American novelists, who is also an avid angler. This is the deluxe limited edition, one of only 67 numbered copies, signed by McGuane and by the artist, John Swan. Quarterbound in blue leather and linen boards; fine in a fine clamshell box.   [#911078] $750

NY, Harper, (1961). A review copy of McMurtry's first book, one of A.C. Greene's "50 best books on Texas," basis for the movie Hud, and winner of the Jesse H. Jones Award from the Texas Institute of Letters for the best novel of the year. Horseman, Pass By, which takes its title from the closing lines of a William Butler Yeats poem, was a breakthrough in Texas literature and in regional literature in general: by telling a raw, unadulterated story entirely fitting to its contemporary West Texas setting, McMurtry not only brought the regional novel out of its quaint gentility but gave it a universality it could not have had otherwise; it has been called a West Texas Catcher in the Rye, with the caveat that the lives of Texans in general were a little more crude than those of the Easterners in Salinger's novel. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket with review slip and author photo laid in. As nice a copy as one could hope for.   [#911079] SOLD

NY, Harper & Row, (1963). His second novel, also one of the "50 best books on Texas," according to A.C. Greene. This book was filmed as Lovin' Molly in 1974. Signed by the author. Faint foxing to the lower edge of the cloth on the front cover, else fine in a fine dust jacket. The jacket is unfaded, and is the first issue, with the $4.50 price. The price was changed to $4.95 very quickly, and most copies one finds have been price-clipped and/or have a price sticker with the new price on it. Most "first issue" jackets -- which show the original printed price -- also have an adhesive shadow or residue where a sticker had been affixed and is now gone. This jacket has none of that: it is pristine, the spine absolutely the same color as the front panel, and all of it bright and unmarred. By far the best copy we've ever seen. From the collection of Bruce Kahn.   [#911080] SOLD

Austin, Encino, 1968. McMurtry's first book of nonfiction, a collection of essays on Texas. Done by a small press in Austin, the first printing was so rife with typographical errors that it was destroyed; reportedly only 15 copies survived. This is one of those copies, with "skycrapers" for "skyscrapers" on page 105. Signed by McMurtry on the front free endpaper. Fine in a fine dust jacket; a flawless copy. Easily the scarcest trade edition in the McMurtry canon -- at least that we know of -- and this is as beautiful copy of it as could be hoped for.   [#911081] $17,500

Austin, Encino, 1968. McMurtry's first book of nonfiction, a collection of essays on Texas. Done by a small press in Austin, the first printing was so rife with typographical errors that it was destroyed; reportedly only 15 copies survived. This is a copy of the second printing, preceded only by the suppressed "skycrapers" edition. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket. A very nice copy of these important essays on Texas.   [#911082] SOLD

NY, Macmillan, (1936). Her first and only book. This is the first issue in a first issue dust jacket. Signed by the author. A superb copy of this Pulitzer Prize-winner, a novel that helped both to cement the legend of the "Old South," and subtly subvert it at the same time. Certainly one of the most famous and popular novels of the century and the basis for the Academy Award-winning film. Fine in a fine dust jacket with the slightest rubbing at the flap folds. One of the nicest, if not the nicest copy we've seen. At a glance, this copy is so fresh it appears to be a facsimile but it is not; rather it is a near-immaculate copy in original condition, housed in a beautiful, full morocco clamshell case stamped in gilt. From the collection of Bruce Kahn.   [#911083] SOLD

NY, HRW, (1970). Her scarce first book, a coming-of-age story about a year in the life of a young black girl who endures a series of hardships and degradations and finally becomes so fixated on the blue eyes of a friend's doll that she goes insane. With this novel, Morrison began the exploration of race in American culture and society, and especially within the black community, that has become the dominant theme of her writing. It was not until her third novel, Song of Solomon, was published, however, that Morrison received widespread national attention. Since then, her books have been bestsellers upon publication, and Beloved, her fifth book, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1988, and she won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993. Beloved was also recently voted the best novel of the past 25 years by a group of writers, editors and critics that were contacted by The New York Times. This is a fine copy in a very near fine dust jacket with just a shade of edge-tanning.   [#911084] $6,000

NY, HRW, (1970). The uncorrected proof copy of her scarce first book, a coming-of-age story about a year in the life of a young black girl who endures a series of hardships and degradations and finally becomes so fixated on the blue eyes of a friend's doll that she goes insane. With this novel, Morrison began the exploration of race in American culture and society, and especially within the black community, that has become the dominant theme of her writing. It was not until her third novel, Song of Solomon, was published, however, that Morrison received widespread national attention. Since then, her books have been bestsellers upon publication, and Beloved, her fifth book, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1988, and she won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993. Beloved was also recently voted the best novel of the past 25 years by a group of writers, editors and critics that were contacted by The New York Times. Inscribed by the author: "From Toni Morrison/ -- the Brownest Eye/ 3.14.1974." Tall ringbound wrappers, darkened at the edges; still near fine, in custom clamshell box. A scarce book even in the regular trade edition, it is virtually unknown in proof form. This is the only proof copy we have ever seen, and it bears a remarkable inscription from Morrison, who has become increasingly inaccessible as her public stature and celebrity have grown.   [#911085] $12,500

NY, Knopf, 1974. The Nobel laureate's second book. Nicely inscribed by the author before publication to one of her editors, Bert Krantz: "Love to you Bert & warm wishes, Always, Toni. 12.3.73." The book was published in January 1974, so this is a pre-publication copy. Fine in a very near fine dust jacket with two tiny tears on the rear panel. A book that seemed to be plagued by production flaws, this is a lovely copy, with a nice association.   [#911086] $3,750

NY, Knopf, 1974. The Nobel laureate's second book. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket. From the collection of Bruce Kahn.   [#911087] SOLD

Paris, Olympia Press, (1955). The correct first edition of Nabokov's masterwork, published in Paris by the Olympia Press, which was most widely known at that time for the pornography published in its "Travelers Companion" series. This novel, which is now viewed as one of the high spots of 20th century literature, was not published in that series, but was bound in wrappers that are essentially identical to the Travelers Companion books -- presumably so that potential buyers might purchase it thinking they were buying the more hardcore erotica. Shortly after it was published, it was banned in France for three years (1956-1959). Published in an edition estimated at 5000 copies. Two volumes in wrappers, this being the first issue with the price of 900 francs and no sticker residue. Faint light crease to the front cover of Volume 1, otherwise this is a fine copy with no discoloration to the green wrappers or the white portions of the spines -- and exceedingly scarce thus. Housed in a custom full leather gilt stamped slipcase and cloth chemise. One of nicest copies we have ever seen. From the collection of Bruce Kahn.   [#911088] SOLD

NY, Putnam, (1955). The first American edition of Nabokov's masterwork. Basis for two films, the 1962 Stanley Kubrick version featuring James Mason, Shelley Winters, Peter Sellers, and Sue Lyon (and which garnered Nabokov his only Oscar nomination), and the 1997 Adrian Lyne version with Jeremy Irons, Melanie Griffith, Frank Langella, and Dominique Swain. Fine with the topstain as new in a fine dust jacket. A nearly perfect copy. From the collection of Bruce Kahn.   [#911089] SOLD

NY, Holt, Rinehart, Winston, (1974, 1978, 1981). The three volumes in Nichols' New Mexico Trilogy. Signed by the author in the third volume. The first volume has a very small bump to the spine base and jacket; the second volume has a short gutter tear and a tiny bit of top edge foxing, in a jacket with a mild upper edge crease; the set is for the most part stunning, still very near fine or better with no tears or fading. The first book was memorably adapted for film by Robert Redford, with Nichols co-authoring the screenplay.   [#911090] $1,500