Catalog 107, N-R
286. NABOKOV, Vladimir. The Defense. NY: Putnam (1964). A novel, originally written in Russian in 1929 and published in Germany in 1930. This is the first American edition and first English-language translation. Trace wear to the cloth at the lower spine tips; still fine in a near fine dust jacket splitting at the top of the front flap fold.
287. NABOKOV, Vladimir. Nabokov's Quartet. (NY): Phaedra, 1966. Four short stories. Juliar's Variant b, with white endpapers. Owner name on front flyleaf; mildly edge-darkened boards; near fine in a very good dust jacket with a couple small chips.
288. NABOKOV, Vladimir. King, Queen, Knave. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson (1968). The first British edition of his second novel, which was originally published in Berlin in 1928. Fine in a near fine dust jacket.
289. NABOKOV, Vladimir. Glory. NY: McGraw-Hill (1971). Trace mottling to the top edge of the boards; very near fine in a very near fine dust jacket.
290. -. Another copy. Minor mottling to upper boards; near fine in a near fine, price-clipped dust jacket.
291. OATES, Joyce Carol. Expensive People. NY: Vanguard (1968). Her fifth book, a novel. This is a review copy, and is inscribed by Oates to the publisher and owner of Vanguard Press: "For Evelyn -/ with all best wishes/ Joyce." From the recipient's estate. Splaying to boards; near fine in a near fine, spine-faded dust jacket. An excellent association copy of one of Oates's earliest books.
292. O'BRIEN, Tim. Tomcat in Love. Franklin Center: Franklin Library, 1998. The leatherbound limited edition, with an introduction written especially for this edition that keeps us from calling the book a departure: "Though I am known as a 'Vietnam writer' -- whatever that may be -- I have always pegged myself more as a 'love writer,' and in that regard Tomcat in Love is no departure at all." Fine, without dust jacket, as issued. Signed by the author.
293. O'CONNELL, Carol. Mallory's Oracle. NY: Putnam (1994). The advance reading copy of the first American edition of the first book in the acclaimed Mallory series. Fine in wrappers.
294. (ONDAATJE, Michael). Poetry of Mid-Century, 1940/1960. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart (1964). New Canadian Library Paperback Original No. 4, which contains 14 poems by Leonard Cohen and pencilled margin notes by Ondaatje. Ondaatje's first book, The Dainty Monsters, was published in 1967; in 1970, Ondaatje published a short critical study of Leonard Cohen. Inscribed by Ondaatje to his wife, Kim, in 1964. Near fine in wrappers.
295. OLIVER, Steve. Moody Gets the Blues. (Seattle): OffByOne Press (1996). Fine in a fine dust jacket and signed by the author in the year of publication.
296. PERCY, Walker. The Thanatos Syndrome. NY: FSG (1987). The uncorrected proof copy of Percy's last novel. Near fine in wrappers.
297. PERELMAN, S.J. Typed Note Signed. November 20, 1958. One sentence, written to an editor at Perelman's publishing house, making a joke at the expense of a Hollywood producer, whose photo is attached in a newspaper clipping. Signed by the author. Folded in thirds for mailing; clipping attached by a staple to the upper corner; else fine.
298. PERELMAN, S.J. Typed Letter Unsigned. February 24, 1959. Three pages, written from Rome: some Hollywood content, including some thoughts on making Swiss Family Perelman a film; and much Rome content, including his work on the screenplay that brought him there, the day life in the streets and in his hotel, and the enforced night life. Folded in thirds, with the intention of signing: the letter closes, "Yours always." Fine. Perelman, a longtime humor writer at The New Yorker, wrote the scripts for several of the Marx Brothers' classic films, notably Monkey Business and Horse Feathers, giving those movies a degree of literacy and sophistication that has helped them remain fresh and funny nearly seventy years later.
299. PERELMAN, S.J. Autograph Letter Signed. March 15, 1959. One dense aerogramme page, from France, where Perelman has gone to have lunch with W.S. Maugham: "I am covered with contrition (everywhere but on the bosom, where I have a rather provocative bit of lace to tease Maugham to madness) . . ." Perelman laments having been without female companionship (beyond the Air France hostesses) on his trip and prepares to turn in early: "11:15 p.m. I bet you Cary Grant wouldn't turn in at 11:15 p.m. You're God-damned right he wouldn't. He'd have been asleep an hour ago." Signed by the author. Typical uneven opening at aerogramme edges, affecting only one letter; else fine.
300. PERELMAN, S.J. Typed Letter Signed. April 26, 1959. One sheet of blue airmail paper, with text on both sides. From London, where he has been over-interviewed by "birdlike ladies and unkempt angries. . . . In between telling these busybodies what's wrong with American humor and reminiscing about the Marx brothers (two subjects I'll be just as content to never mention again, please), I've done a few diverting things . . ." He recounts a few diverting things and then instructs books be sent to two members of Scotland Yard. Signed by the author. Folded in thirds for mailing; fine.
301. PERELMAN, S.J. Typed Letter Signed. May 12 [1959]. From Las Vegas, "so immeasurably depressing that it's going to take every bit of my stick-to-it-iveness to remain one night, let alone the five to ten days I may have to. I'm lodged in a chamber that can only be described as a whore's dream, with a bed that can easily sleep five and undoubtedly does." Perelman also offers to play matchmaker in the letter, between his correspondent and a Beverly Hills attorney. Signed by the author. On hotel stationery; folded in thirds for mailing; fine.
302. PERELMAN, S.J. Typed Letter Signed. June 4, 1959. Two pages, written from Rome, where he has returned to work on a screenplay. "I've been straightening out the story line so as to embody everyone's ideas (including those of the Ethiopian who opens the side door of this hotel) and it's all turning out just sickeningly, thank you." Perelman describes some of the difficulties of working in the hotel and the obligatory interruptions such as coffee with Max Schuster. Signed by the author. Folded in thirds for mailing, with a paper clip imprint, and, oddly, one vertical inch of text (6" wide) torn from page two, leaving only the one inch left margin there. Censored, else fine.
303. PERELMAN, S.J. Typed Letter Signed. June 30, 1959. Two+ pages, with text running on to the verso of page two. From Positano, where he has escaped from Rome. Equal time given to the tribulations of the place he's escaped from and the place he's escaped to, plus the recurring theme of breasts. Signed by the author. Folded for mailing; edgeworn; near fine.
304. PERELMAN, S.J. Typed Letter Signed. July 28, 1959. Two pages, written from Rome, having returned from Positano. Equal time given to the tribulations of each, plus a paragraph on Bernard Geis asking him to ask to review Groucho Marx's book for the New York Times Book Review, and another paragraph on the relief of being out of the country during a successful run of a book by Thurber. Signed by the author, "Sid." Folded for mailing; fine.
305. PERELMAN, S.J. Typed Letter Signed. September 1, 1959. Two pages, written from London, where he is researching an article for The New Yorker. Much of the letter concerns his correspondent's sudden departure from her position at Simon & Schuster, apparently for "excessive use of [her] femininity in office hours." Perelman defends her character at length and, as to the charges at hand, says, in part ". . . I hadn't noticed that you were excessively given to switching your ass about, though in all truth I must tell you that it's a very pretty one and you'd be thoroughly justified in doing so. To ask any woman to be less feminine than she is, in or out of an office, is just about as mealy-mouthed and pharisaical a notion as anything I've ever heard; and of course this crap about couturier clothes and embarrassing the firm is just drool." However, something in the letter was racier or more sensitive still: a vertical inch of text (6" wide) has been torn from page two, leaving only the one inch left margin there. Signed by the author. Censored, else fine.
306. PERELMAN, S.J. The Rising Gorge. NY: Simon & Schuster, 1961. A collection of 34 short pieces by the writer who is generally considered America's funniest and most sophisticated humorist, who both wrote for Marx Brothers films and also confessed to having been influenced by James Joyce. Inscribed by the author in the year of publication. Near fine in a very good, Ben Shahn dust jacket that has some light rubbing and two closed edge tears, one of which is internally tape-repaired.
307. PLATH, Sylvia. The Colossus. London: Heinemann (1960). The uncorrected proof copy of the first edition of the author's first book. The only collection of poetry published in her lifetime -- an amazing fact considering that Plath is universally considered among the most important poets, especially women poets, of the postwar era. Only one other of her books was published before she committed suicide -- the autobiographical novel The Bell Jar. The Colossus is extremely scarce even in the published first edition: proof copies are practically unheard of. The first edition of this collection established Plath as a poet of considerable accomplishment and sensitivity. This was a working proof copy, which formerly belonged to the production manager at Heinemann, with his name on the front cover and a number of annotations and figures in his hand throughout. The leaf comprising pages 29 & 30 is missing and is here supplied in facsimile. Covers moderately worn; very good, in a custom chemise and slipcase. An extremely scarce item: we have only seen one other copy.
308. PORTIS, Charles. The Dog of the South. NY: Knopf, 1979. Third novel by the author of Norwood and True Grit among others. This title is frequently cited as his best. Faint remainder mark; else fine in a fine dust jacket.
309. PYNCHON, Thomas. V. Phil: Lippincott (1963). His first book, winner of the Faulkner Foundation Award for best first novel of the year. With each of his first three novels winning one or more of the major literary awards given out in this country, Pynchon became the postmodern "standard" against whom all other writers since have been measured. This title was a National Book Award finalist, in addition to winning the Faulkner Foundation Award. Trace sunning to the purple cloth, as is usual for this title; still fine in a near fine dust jacket with minor rubbing and slight spine fading. One of the nicest copies we have seen.
310. PYNCHON, Thomas. The Crying of Lot 49. Philadelphia: Lippincott (1966). Pynchon's second novel, winner of the Richard and Hilda Rosenthal Award from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, and the most overtly political, and paranoid, of Pynchon's novels. Chosen by David Pringle as one of the hundred best novels of Modern Fantasy. Faint spotting to lower page edges and spine cloth; else fine in a very near fine dust jacket. A very attractive copy.
311. PYNCHON, Thomas. Gravity's Rainbow. NY: Viking (1973). Pynchon's magnum opus, winner of the National Book Award (which Pynchon declined) and the William Dean Howells Medal, for the best work of fiction to appear in the U.S. over a five year period -- the book that confirmed its reclusive author's stature as the preeminent American postmodern fiction writer. Pynchon reportedly declined the Pulitzer Prize for this title, as well -- the only time in the last 30+ years that there was no award given for fiction in a given year. An impressive book for the breadth of its references and allusions, it is widely considered the culminating novel of the American fiction of the 1960s, embracing the decade's experimentation with form and its breakthroughs in content. Trace fading to the extreme upper edge of the orange cloth, and a scuff on the lower outer page edges from the weight of the text block; still a fine copy in a fine dust jacket.
312. PYNCHON, Thomas. Entropy. [Troy Town: "Tristero, 1957"; actually, England c. 1983.] The second printing of this piracy, with photomontage cover. Fine in stapled wrappers. The limitation is not given, either in the publication itself or in Mead's bibliography, but both printings of this title appear to be considerably scarcer than the four piracies done by Aloes Press.
313. -. Another copy. Faint sticker removal shadow on the front cover; else fine.
314. PYNCHON, Thomas. Mason and Dixon. NY: Henry Holt (1997). A review copy of his latest novel, published to extraordinary critical reviews, with more than one reviewer calling it his best book. A fine copy in a fine paper dust jacket and a printed acetate dust jacket with a tiny crimp at the crown.
315. RAND, Ayn. Atlas Shrugged. NY: Random House (1957). Her last novel, a massive book written as a testament to and explication of her Objectivist philosophy. The yellow pastedowns have a faint pink hue, probably from the binder's glue; otherwise this is a fine copy in a good dust jacket: lightly edge chipped with blended rubbing to the white spine lettering; however, there is also considerable wear along the rear flap fold, which, although hidden, could threaten the integrity of the jacket. That said, a very nice-looking copy of this bulky, heavy book, which is difficult to find in collectible condition.
316. RAUCHER, Herman. Summer of '42. NY: Putnam (1971). A fine copy in a near fine dust jacket with a small open tear at the rear spine fold. Basis for a well-received 1972 movie, which won one Oscar and was nominated for several others, including one for Raucher's screenplay.
317. RICE, Anne. The Mummy. NY: Ballantine (1989). The uncorrected proof copy of this horror novel that was only issued as a trade paperback in this country. A very uncommon proof: proofs for softcover originals seem to be done in much smaller quantities than those for hardcover books, and this seems to be the scarcest of the Anne Rice proofs. Very faint spine-fading; else fine in wrappers.
318. ROBBINS, Tom. Still Life With Woodpecker. (n.p.): (n.p.), 1978, 1979. A 347 page, double-spaced, photocopied typescript of his third novel, reproducing authorial and editorial corrections. The several dozen changes evident in Robbins' hand are not large but they do show small color changes by one of our most colorful writers. (Several more minor changes were made to the text even after this version.) Minor edgewear, tape-repaired tear on final page; near fine. Inscribed by Robbins. A nice look at the work-in-progress as it approaches its final form; rare.
319. ROTH, Philip. Goodbye, Columbus. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1959. The author's first book, a collection of short fiction including the title novella -- which was the basis for a well-received movie in the Sixties -- and five short stories. Winner of the Houghton Mifflin Literary Fellowship Award, an award also bestowed on first or early books by such writers as Robert Penn Warren, Robert Stone, Elizabeth Bishop, Edward Hoagland, Ann Petry and, more recently, Ethan Canin and David Payne. Owner name and date front flyleaf; near fine in a near fine, price-clipped dust jacket. An attractive copy of a book that is quite scarce these days, and practically unobtainable in fine condition.
320. ROWLING, J.K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. (NY): Scholastic Press (1998). The advance reading copy of the first American edition of the first volume in the acclaimed Harry Potter series, which has enjoyed unprecedented commercial success and has seen the prices of the first editions in the series rise to astonishing levels in an extremely short amount of time. A publishing phenomenon as well as a unique phenomenon in the already volatile world of "hyper-modern" first editions. Fine in wrappers.
321. ROWLING, J.K. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. (London): Bloomsbury (1999). The uncorrected proof copy of the true first edition of the third book in the series. Fine in purple wrappers (second state?).
322. ROWLING, J.K. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. (London): Bloomsbury (1999). Three volumes of the collector's edition, issued after the successes of the individual volumes. All edges gilt, ribbon markers bound in. Lower corners bumped; else fine, without dust jackets, as issued. For the three:
323. ROY, Arundhati. The God of Small Things. (London): Flamingo (1997). The advance reading copy of the first novel by this young Indian author; a surprise winner of the Booker Prize. Signed by the author. Fine in wrappers.
324. RUSHDIE, Salman. Midnight's Children. London: Jonathan Cape (1981). The first British edition of the author's second book, winner of the Booker Prize, and the first book in Rushdie's ambitious sequence of novels of the Muslim world, which culminated in The Satanic Verses and the death sentence imposed on him by Moslem fundamentalists. The American edition is the true first, preceding the British (they were both printed in this country); however, this is the more desirable edition for "following the flag" and it is also considerably scarcer than the U.S. edition, with 2500 copies printed (the British book market being approximately one-fifth the size of the U.S. market). An important book that launched Rushdie's literary career as it represented a quantum leap from the subject matter and accomplishment of his first novel. This title was named as the outstanding title among all the Booker Prize winners -- the "Booker of Bookers." Small faint (coffee?) stain to lower front board and verso of jacket there; near fine in a near fine dust jacket.