Catalog 129, E-F
156. EGAN, Jennifer. The Invisible Circus. NY: Doubleday (1995). The uncorrected proof copy of her well-received first book, a novel of the aftermath of the 1960s. Blurbs by Robert Stone, Pat Conroy and Alice Adams. Fine in pictorial wrappers. Signed by the author.
157. EGOLF, Tristan. Lord of the Barnyard. (London): Picador (1998). The uncorrected proof copy of this highly praised first novel which, after being rejected by some 50 U.S. publishers, was published in France in a French translation. From there, world English rights were sold to Picador, who published the novel to substantial praise in England in 1998, with reviewers comparing the writing to Thomas Pynchon's and the book's publishing history to that of John Kennedy Toole's A Confederacy of Dunces. After its success in England, Grove published it in the U.S., to much critical acclaim. Some marks and creasing to covers and creases to front page edges; very good in wrappers. Scarce.
158. ELKIN, Stanley. The Franchiser. NY: FSG (1976). The uncorrected proof copy of his fourth novel. Fine in wrappers. Four of Elkin's books were National Book Award finalists, and one of the won the National Book Critics Circle Award. Elkin was one of the few modern American writers who bridged the gap between the "realistic" and "post-modern" schools of American fiction, and was admired by writers from both groups.
159. ELLIS, Bret Easton. Less Than Zero. NY: Simon & Schuster (1985). The uncorrected proof copy of his first book, which, together with Jay McInerney's Bright Lights, Big City, helped define the literary "Brat Pack" of the 1980s -- considered the representative voices of a new generation. Ellis' nihilistic novel was softened for the screen, reportedly in order to get an "R" rating, which according to critics robbed the movie of some of the book's power. Fine in wrappers.
160. ELLROY, James. Hollywood Nocturnes. NY: Otto Penzler (1994). The uncorrected proof copy of this collection of short fiction, including a novella and all of Ellroy's short stories to date. Ellroy, author of White Jazz and L.A. Confidential, among others, is considered one of the finest practitioners of the hard-boiled crime novel writing today, and his penchant for extreme, over-the-top violence combined with a mordant sense of humor puts him in a category of his own. Fine in wrappers.
161. ELMAN, Richard M. An Education in Blood. NY: Scribner (1971). The uncorrected proof copy of what may be his best-known novel, although his most popular and successful work was probably the novelization of the movie, Taxi Driver. Signed by the author in 1974, with a footnote referencing a poem in the text. Several page corners turned; spine creased from reading; about near fine in wrappers.
162. ELMAN, Richard. Uptight with the Stones. NY: Scribner (1973). The uncorrected proof copy of what may be the author's least-known book: Elman, a literary novelist and social commentator well into his 30's, traveled with the Rolling Stones on their tour of the U.S. in 1972, and reported on the experience in this short book, which is essentially a personal essay. Inscribed by the author in 1974, in part: "I wrote this book for money..." Quarto sheets; tapebound in cardstock covers with a typed label on the front cover giving the title and nothing else: clearly, a proof that would have been produced in tiny quantities. Very good.
163. ELMSLIE, Kenward. The Orchid Stories. Garden City: Doubleday, 1973. The uncorrected proof copy of this large collection of stories and prose poems, in the form of tall, bound galley sheets printed on rectos only. Stamped "Final Galley." A number of the galley pages are loose but all are present. Near fine in wrappers and signed by the author. Scarce, fragile format.
164. ENDE, Michael. The Neverending Story. (n.p.): Doubleday (1983). The first state uncorrected proof of the American edition of this contemporary fantasy classic, basis for two movies (so far). Shot from typescript, presumably the translator's, with many holograph changes reproduced. Small abrasion at crown; light scuffing front panel; near fine in wrappers.
165. -. Another copy. Chip threatening on rear panel; very good in wrappers.
166. -. Same title. A later state proof of the American edition of this contemporary fantasy classic. This state is typeset and incorporates the changes made in the first state proof. Near fine in wrappers.
167. ENGEL, Marian. Bear. (Toronto): McClelland & Stuart (1976). The uncorrected proof copy of the first edition of her most famous book, a short, haunting novel of a woman in the Canadian wilderness who develops an intimate relationship with a wild bear. An uncommon book, which has become a feminist classic for its depiction of a woman strong enough and independent enough to carve out her own destiny irrespective of societal expectations and taboos. Winner of the Governor General's Award, Canada's highest literary honor. Engel died in 1985, and a literary award in her honor was instituted in Canada in 1986. Near fine in wrappers.
168. ERDRICH, Louise. Jacklight. NY: Holt Rinehart Winston (1984). The uncorrected proof copy of her first book, a collection of poetry that was only issued in wrappers. According to a letter she wrote shortly after publication, the book was declined by 19 publishers before Holt Rinehart Winston decided to give it a chance, together with her first novel, Love Medicine. This is a near fine copy with one corner crease and a tanned spine on which the author and title are handwritten. Publicity sheet laid in. An extremely scarce proof: we have only seen two copies offered for sale since the book was new.
169. ERICKSON, Steve. Tours of the Black Clock. NY: Poseidon (1989). The advance reading copy of the author's third book, a fantastic tale of Hitler's private pornographer. Black stripe at bottom page edges; else fine in wrappers and signed by the author.
170. ESQUIVEL, Laura. Like Water for Chocolate. NY: Doubleday (1992). The advance reading copy of the first American edition of this phenomenally successful Mexican novel, which sold more than four million copies and was made into the most successful Spanish-language film ever released in the U.S., grossing over $20 million. A literary and publishing phenomenon. Fine in wrappers.
171. FARRELL, James T. Ellen Rogers. NY: Vanguard (1941). The advance reading copy of this novel by the author of Studs Lonigan. Spine-cocked; very good in self-wrappers i.e., bound into the dust jacket. This is the typical way that advance copies were produced -- when they were produced at all -- in the 1930s and 1940s.
172. FERRIGNO, Robert. The Cheshire Moon. NY: Morrow (1993). The advance reading copy of this book by the author of the highly praised thriller Horse Latitudes. Inscribed by the author. Fine in wrappers.
173. FIELDING, Helen. Cause Celeb. (London): Picador (1994). The uncorrected proof copy of the first book by the author of Bridget Jones's Diary, and a precursor to the current "chick lit" genre, which her second book epitomized and helped define. This title was not published in the U.S. until 2001. Near fine in wrappers and jacket; an uncommon title and a very scarce proof.
174. FINDLEY, Timothy. The Butterfly Plague. NY: Viking Press (1969). The uncorrected proof copy of the first American edition of this Canadian author's second book. Spine-cocked and sunned; first blank loose; about near fine in wrappers. Laid in is a letter from an editor asking Pauline Kael, longtime New Yorker film critic and recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Book Critics Circle, to review the book.
175. FITZGERALD, F. Scott. The Short Stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald Vols. I and II. NY: Scribner (1989). The uncorrected proof copy of a collection that brings together some of his best-known stories with some of his most obscure. Edited and with a preface by Matthew J. Bruccoli, biographer and bibliographer of Fitzgerald. Two volumes; near fine in wrappers. Laid in is a typescript of Charles Scribner III's Foreword to the volume, which was not ready for printing when the proofs were prepared. Scribner's grandfather was Fitzgerald's original publisher.
176. FLEMING, Ian. The Spy Who Loved Me. London: Jonathan Cape (1962). The uncorrected proof copy of the 10th James Bond novel. Spine cocked and sunned; additional cover creasing from having been read. A very good copy, and quite scarce in proof form: proofs from the early 1960s are scarce in any case, and we have seen very few proofs of the James Bond novels over the years.
177. FLOKOS, Nicholas. Nike. Boston/NY: Houghton Mifflin, 1998. The author's well-received first book. Tapebound advance copy, consisting of 8 1/2" x 11" sheets reproducing word-processed typescript; a very early state of the book. Fine. Laid in is a typed letter signed by the author, in part thanking his correspondent for his kind words and stating "letters like yours help a writer keep going."
178. FOOTE, Horton. Beginnings. NY: Scribner (2001). The advance reading copy of the second installment of Foote's memoir, after Farewell. With a blurb by Harper Lee praising Farewell on the rear cover -- one of the very few times Ms. Lee has consented to have her words published since her one and only book. Foote wrote the Academy Award-winning screenplay for Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning To Kill a Mockingbird. Slight corner bend; still fine in wrappers.
179. FOWLES, John. The French Lieutenant's Woman. London: Cape (1969). The uncorrected proof copy of the first edition of what many consider to be Fowles's best and most important book, a landmark novel that uses an unconventional love story to explore the decline of Victorian England and the advent of the modern age and modern notions of freedom and self. Spine-creased and cocked; outer edges sunned; the cheap proofing paper has acidified at different rates, causing browning to some of the signatures. A very good copy in wrappers. Scarce.
180. FOWLES, John. The Ebony Tower. London: Jonathan Cape (1974). The uncorrected proof copy of the British edition of this collection of novellas, which were filmed for television in the U.K. Very near fine in a near fine proof dust jacket.
181. -. Another copy. Owner name; near fine in a very good proof dust jacket.
182. -. Another copy. Spine-creased; still about near fine in a very good proof dust jacket.
183. (FOWLES, John). AUBREY, John. Monumenta Britannica. Boston: Little Brown (1982). A massive study of British antiquities, written toward the end of the 17th century, here edited by Fowles and with an introduction by him. There were 49 advance copies in wrappers prepared, of which this is one -- a thick quarto. The cover, endsheet, and first blank have a slit extending two inches in from the middle of the foredge, most likely a knife cut while packaged. Otherwise this is a near fine copy of this massive volume, and a scarce Fowles item.
184. FRAZIER, Charles. Cold Mountain. NY: Atlantic Monthly Press (1997). The advance reading copy of the trade edition (identified by the publisher as an "uncorrected manuscript"). An early, pre-publication state of this Civil War novel that became a word-of-mouth bestseller and the publishing phenomenon of the year. Winner of the National Book Award. The first printing of the trade edition was 25,000 copies, and there are now over 2 million copies in print. Fine in wrappers.
185. FROST, Mark. The List of 7. NY: Morrow (1993). The advance reading copy of the first novel by the creator and co-writer of Twin Peaks, and director of the film, Storyville. A thriller involving Arthur Conan Doyle and the occult. Inscribed by the author. Fine in wrappers.