Catalog 136, K-L
117. KAEL, Pauline. 5001 Nights at the Movies. NY: HRW (1982). Collects several thousand of Kael's short movie reviews, written for The New Yorker and published in the "Goings on About Town" section of the magazine. These are generally capsule summaries of longer reviews by Kael that had appeared in the Cinema section of the magazine; an excellent introduction to her style of writing and the largest single volume collection of her reviews to that date, however abbreviated. A bulky book, this is a fine copy in a near fine dust jacket with an open tear at the spine base. From the library of Pauline Kael.
118. KAEL, Pauline. Taking It All In. NY: HRW (1984). The hardcover issue of this collection of review from the early 1980s and including the essay "Why Are Movies So Bad?" Fine in a fine dust jacket. Again, from Kael's library.
119. -. Same title, the simultaneous issue in wrappers. Fine.
120. -. Same title. Second printing of the hardcover issue. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
121. KAEL, Pauline. State of the Art. NY: Dutton (1985). Reviews from the mid-1980s: Flashdance, Desperately Seeking Susan, Footloose, Stop Making Sense, The Big Chill, etc. Fine in a fine dust jacket. From the author's library.
122. KARR, Mary. The Liar's Club. (NY): Viking (1995). The author's well-received first prose work, a memoir, after two collections of poetry. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
123. (KESEY, Ken). "Edge City" in London Magazine, Vol. 9, No. 9. (London): London Magazine, 1969. A long essay by literary critic Tony Tanner about Kesey and the Merry Pranksters, which is in part a review of Tom Wolfe's The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test and Kesey's two novels to that point. Near fine in wrappers.
124. KEYES, Daniel. Flowers for Algernon. NY: Harcourt Brace World (1966). His first novel, which David Pringle selected as one of the 100 Best Science Fiction novels. The touching story of a mentally deficient janitor whose intelligence is surgically enhanced -- temporarily -- first appeared as a short story which was then adapted for television. Cliff Robertson won an Emmy nomination for his portrayal of Charlie, the main character, and Robertson also starred in the movie, Charley, which was based on the novel. Winner of the 1966 Nebula Award; the short story that preceded the novel won the 1960 Hugo Award. One faint corner stain to board; still a very near fine copy in a near fine dust jacket with light edge wear. Signed by the author. An uncommon book in the first edition, especially signed.
125. KING, Stephen. Carrie. Garden City: Doubleday, 1974. His first novel, the beginning of a career that reinvigorated the horror genre, led the author to become the best-selling American author of all time, and resulted in gaining him a degree of celebrity and name-recognition usually reserved for film stars and athletes. Also the basis for one of the defining movies of the '70s. Fine in a fine dust jacket. A beautiful copy of a landmark first book.
126. KING, Stephen. The Gunslinger. (West Kingston): Donald M. Grant (1982). The deluxe edition of the first volume of King's "Dark Tower" epic, limited to 500 copies signed by King and by the illustrator, Michael Whelan. The Gunslinger was published by a small horror specialty publisher, Donald Grant, right at the point that King had broken through to huge commercial success as a writer, with his books commanding six-figure first printings (and later seven-figure printings) in hardcover. Grant published a small 10,000-copy trade edition of it, and a 500-copy signed limited edition. Both of them were immediately sold out, and the title became one of the most sought-after Stephen King books, as it was originally announced that there would be no further printings of it. Since then, King has extended the Dark Tower series to seven volumes, and The Gunslinger has come back into print and is widely available. The first printings are still scarce, though, and the signed limited only rarely turns up on the market, often available only as part of a complete set. Fine in a fine dust jacket and slipcase.
127. -. Same title, the trade edition. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
128. KING, Stephen. The Eyes of the Dragon. Bangor: Philtrum Press, 1984. A story by King that runs more than 300 pages. Published by King's own press, it was printed and bound by the Stinehour Press in Lunenburg, Vermont. Tall quarto, quarterbound in black cloth and red paste paper boards, in a black cloth and red paste paper slipcase. An attractive production, with illustrations by Kenneth R. Linkhaüser. Of a total edition of 1250 copies, this is one of 1000 numbered copies signed by the author. Fine in a fine slipcase.
129. KING, Stephen. The Drawing of the Three. (West Kingston): Donald M. Grant (1987). The deluxe edition of the second volume of King's "Dark Tower" epic, limited to 850 copies signed by King and by the illustrator, Phil Hale. With ten full color plates by Hale. Fine in a fine dust jacket and cloth slipcase.
130. -. Same title, the trade edition. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
131. KING, Stephen. Dolan's Cadillac. Northridge: Lord John Press, 1989. A limited edition of this short story by King, later collected in Nightmares and Dreamscapes. Reportedly a movie version of the story will begin filming in June, after several years of rumor, speculation, changes in casting, etc. One of 1000 numbered copies signed by the author, of a total edition of 1476. Fine without dust jacket, as issued.
132. KING, Stephen. The Waste Lands. Hampton Falls: Donald M. Grant (1991). The deluxe edition of the third volume of King's "Dark Tower" epic, limited to 1250 copies signed by King and by the illustrator, Ned Dameron. Fine in a fine dust jacket and slipcase.
133. -. Same title, the trade edition. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
134. KING, Stephen. Wizard and Glass. Hampton Falls: Donald M. Grant (1997). The two-volume deluxe edition of the fourth volume of King's "Dark Tower" epic, limited to 1250 copies signed by King and by the illustrator, Dave McKean. Fine copies in fine dust jackets and slipcase.
135. KOCH, Christopher J. Highways to a War. (n.p.): (William Heinemann Australia) (1995). The uncorrected proof copy of the first Australian edition (using Viking sheets) of this novel of Cambodia in the post-Vietnam War era, by the author of The Year of Living Dangerously. Winner of the Miles Franklin Award. Light creasing; one small ink note, presumably a reviewer's, on the last blank. Near fine in wrappers.
136. KOONTZ, Dean. Archive for "Dean R. Koontz in the Fictional Melting Pot" in Writer's Digest. 1989. Koontz was interviewed by Stanley Wiater for Writer's Digest magazine; the result was published in the November, 1989 issue. Included here are two typescript (computer printout) drafts of the interview: the first draft (2 copies) as prepared by Wiater, and the second draft, typed and edited by Koontz. With the second draft is an autograph letter signed by Koontz, saying "More Koontz blatherings have raised the page count from 12 to 16. I think this should satisfy Bill. If not, I'm on Mars for the next six months." Also included is an autograph letter signed transmitting four author photos (not included) for Writer's Digest to choose from and a typed letter signed transmitting two versions of the same page of text from Koontz's A Bad Place for use illustrating the author's writing process in the article. The two pages of text, reproducing the author's holograph corrections, are included. Lastly, there is a photocopy of the article as it was published, which differs somewhat from the two drafts included here. One (folded) mailing envelope included. All items fine. Koontz autograph material is uncommon, and this small archive provides a glimpse of the writer at work, commenting on his own work, and carefully revising it and clarifying it -- including the interview text -- prior to publication.
137. (KOONTZ, Dean). LENSKI, Robert W. Night Chills. Los Angeles: Spelling/Goldberg, 1976. The "revised first draft" of Lenski's screenplay based on Koontz's 1976 novel. Inscribed by Koontz: "To ___ ___/ with all modesty, with my usual humility, with my unfailing self-effacement, I must nevertheless say that the book is a hell of a lot better than this script!/ Best, Dean R. Koontz/ (author of book, not author of this screenplay -- in case you thought this was yet another pen name!)." Blue pages claspbound in red cardstock covers; tape label on spine split; first page with a tiny corner of red cover bleed; still a very near fine copy. As best we can tell, Night Chills was never made into a film. Koontz's breakthrough novel -- the point at which he stopped writing under his various pseudonyms, and also the point at which his novels became instant bestsellers upon publication -- was Whispers, published in 1980. An unusual script, with an interesting and telling commentary by the author of the book from which it was adapted.
138. KUNDERA, Milan. The Unbearable Lightness of Being. NY: Harper & Row (1984). The first American edition of his best-known book, basis of the well-received movie that was nominated for two Academy Awards. Fine in a dust jacket with a tiny nick near the heel; still fine. A Waterstone's book of the century.
139. LE CARRÉ, John. The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. NY: Coward-McCann (1964). The first American edition of Le Carré's third book, the definitive Cold War novel, which brought a new level of realism to the spy novel genre. Owner name front flyleaf; spotting to top edge; very good in a very good, rubbed dust jacket with fading to the spine lettering, slight edge wear and a bit of dampstaining on verso.
140. LEHANE, Dennis. A Drink Before the War. NY: Harcourt Brace (1994). Highly praised first mystery featuring a Boston male-female PI team, written in the gritty, realistic voice of a contemporary Chandler. By the author of Mystic River, among others. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
141. LUDLUM, Robert. The Matlock Paper. NY: Dial, 1973. The third novel by the author of The Bourne Identity, among others. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
142. (LUDLUM, Robert). "RYDER, Jonathan." Trevayne. NY: Delacorte (1973). A pseudonymous novel by the author of a number of bestselling thrillers. Cocked; thus near fine in a near fine dust jacket with one internally tape-mended edge tear and some fading to the red spine lettering.