Catalog 137, M-N
158. MARTEL, Yann. Life of Pi. (Toronto): Knopf (2001). The true first edition of his surprise Booker Prize winning novel, published in Canada in a printing reported to be 5000 copies. Pi is a 16 year-old Indian boy, stranded on a raft with a 450-pound Bengal tiger. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
159. MASON, Bobbie Ann. Shiloh and Other Stories. NY: Harper & Row (1982). The uncorrected proof copy of her first book of fiction, winner of the Hemingway Foundation Award and nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award, the PEN Faulkner Award and the American Book Award. An influential collection of stories, for which the term "K-Mart fiction" was invented -- referring to the author's chronicling the lives and dreams of ordinary middle and lower middle class Midwestern Americans. This copy belonged to author John Gardner and has a note to him from Ted Solotaroff, senior editor at Random House laid in. Solotaroff praises the Mason book and also asks Gardner about his progress reviewing the edited version of On Becoming a Writer. All elements fine.
160. MATTHIESSEN, Peter. Raditzer. NY: Viking, 1961. A review copy of Matthiessen's fourth book, third novel, a tale of an outcast seaman on a World War II troop ship, reminiscent of Conrad's sea adventures. Fine in a very slightly spine-tanned dust jacket with light edge wear; about near fine. Review slip laid in. An attractive copy of a book that seldom shows up in nice shape.
161. MATTHIESSEN, Peter. Wildlife in America. NY: Viking, 1959. Matthiessen's first book of nonfiction, a survey of the effect of the Europeans on the fauna of North America and a classic in the field of conservation literature. Shortly after publication, the publisher reported that President John F. Kennedy had added the book to the White House's permanent library. Matthiessen was one of the first primarily "literary" authors to devote his energy to writing about ecological issues, eventually incorporating them and the political questions that they raise into his fiction in a way that set the stage for the generation of socially conscious writers to come. His interest in non-Western ways of perception and knowing -- drawn from tribal traditions as well as from the mystical heritage of the East -- combined with his social concerns to raise the standard for serious, environmentally conscious writers of fiction and other literature. Signed by the author. Bookplate front pastedown; lower corner bumped; near fine in a near fine, price-clipped dust jacket rubbed at the edges and folds.
Inscribed by the Author
162. MAUGHAM, W. Somerset. Of Human Bondage. NY: Doran (1915). First issue of the true first edition of one of Maugham's greatest novels, preceding the U.K. edition. Inscribed by the author: "For Netta[?]/ from her affectionate friend/ the writer." While the provenance of the book is unclear, it is possible that it is inscribed to Netta Aldington, the wife of author Richard Aldington, who wrote Somerset Maugham: An Appreciation in 1939, two years after marrying Netta Patmore. Of Human Bondage was one the novel that established Maugham as a major writer; it was filmed in 1934 with Bette Davis in her first Oscar-nominated performance, and again in 1946 and 1964, the latter version featuring an outstanding performance by Kim Novak in the role Davis had had. Of Human Bondage was a thinly veiled autobiography, and is now seen as a classic coming-of-age novel because of the author's frank recounting of his protagonist's insecurities as an adolescent. Maugham originally wrote a draft of the book in 1898 after publishing his first book, Liza of Lambeth, but set the manuscript aside when he couldn't find a publisher. When he returned to the novel, he worked on it obsessively for two years and later said that had he been able to publish it when he first wrote it he would have missed much of what made the novel good. Dampstaining to lower boards and pages; cracking to hinges and text block shaken from a creased spine. A good copy only, lacking the dust jacket. Named one of the top 100 titles of the last century by the Modern Library, and an extremely uncommon book to find signed.
163. MAUGHAM, W. Somerset. The Moon and Sixpence. London: Heinemann (1919). One of Maugham's most successful and influential novels, a portrait of an artist who leaves his comfortable life to pursue his artistic muse, loosely based on the life of Paul Gauguin. This is the first issue, with four pages of publisher's ads bound integrally in the last signature. As with Of Human Bondage, there is also a great deal of autobiography in Maugham's novel; he reportedly took the title for it from an excerpt of a review of the earlier novel in the TLS in which the earlier novel's main character is described as "so busy yearning for the moon that he never saw the sixpence at his feet." Acidic paper darkening; a touch of rubbing at the corners; else a very near fine copy in custom slipcase. A beautiful copy of the scarce first issue of one of Maugham's most famous novels.
164. McCARTHY, Cormac. The Stonemason. (Hopewell): Ecco (1994). The trade edition of his first play, which had a first printing of 7500 copies (compared with 150,000 copies for The Crossing, which was issued at about the same time). This copy is signed by the author three months prior to publication. There was a signed edition of this title, issued with a limitation of 350 copies, but those were signed on a tipped-in leaf. McCarthy is quite reclusive, and trade editions signed by him are scarce.
165. McCOURT, Frank. Angela's Ashes. (NY): Scribner (1996). The author's first book, a memoir that won the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Critics Circle Award, and the Los Angeles Times Book Award, and was made into a well-received film. A surprise bestseller, it had a relatively small first printing and went into dozens of printings, spending more than two years on The New York Times bestseller list and ending up with over two and a half million copies in print in the U.S. alone. It has been translated into 25 languages. This copy is signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket. Laid in are two Angela's Ashes bookmarks, one advertising a book signing, one advertising the film, as well as a fold-out invitation to a signing to benefit the Providence Public Library.
166. McCOURT, Frank. 'Tis. (NY): Scribner (1999). Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket. Laid in is a 'Tis bookmark advertising a book signing by McCourt.
167. McMURTRY, Larry. Lonesome Dove. NY: Simon & Schuster (1985). His breakthrough book -- an unusual term to apply to a novelist who had had the kind of critical and commercial success that McMurtry had had by this time (his books had won a number of awards and four of his novels had been made into films), but the success of this book, which was a huge bestseller and the winner of the Pulitzer Prize, elevated McMurtry to a new level. Basis for the acclaimed and award-winning television miniseries. Pull to the text block and spine; else fine in a fine dust jacket. Laid in is a 2001 autograph letter signed by McMurtry to a book collector, offering advice on the value of Cold Mountain, and commenting on the supposed "issue point" in the first edition. Folded for mailing; else fine, with envelope.
168. McMURTRY, Larry. The Wandering Hill. NY: Simon & Schuster (2003). The uncorrected proof copy, with copyright date in text given as 2003 and publication date on cover label given as 2002. Volume 2 in the Berrybender Narratives. Lower corner creased; else fine in wrappers.
169. McMURTRY, Larry. By Sorrow's River. NY: Simon & Schuster (2003). The uncorrected proof copy of Volume 3 in the Berrybender Narratives. Tiny nick to spine base, else fine in wrappers.
170. McPHEE, John. The Deltoid Pumpkin Seed. NY: FSG (1973). A nonfiction account of a serious, but flawed, attempt to create a new kind of aircraft -- a combination airplane and lighter-than-air airship. An intriguing subject elucidated by McPhee's crystal-clear prose. Inscribed by the author. Small spots to top stain; else fine in a near fine, very slightly edgeworn dust jacket with corner creases on the flaps.
171. McPHEE, John. The John McPhee Reader. NY: FSG (1976). Collects sections from McPhee's first dozen books, along with an introduction by William Howarth and a checklist of McPhee's writings, which includes a number of unattributed "Talk of the Town" pieces from The New Yorker. Fine in a near fine, price-clipped dust jacket with erratum slip laid in correcting the omission of lines on page 36. A surprisingly uncommon McPhee title, especially in fine condition, and an important title for McPhee collectors in the bibliographic information that it contains.
172. McPHEE, John. The Pine Barrens. NY: FSG (1978). Later printing of his 1968 book, a classic of this kind of reporting: McPhee covers history, natural history, and biography, and in so doing reveals in depth a previously all-but-hidden corner of the world, a wilderness in the heart of the Boston-Richmond megalopolis that occupies one-quarter of the state of New Jersey and is as large as Grand Canyon National Park. Inscribed by the author. Fine in a near fine dust jacket with a little edge staining on the upper edge of the rear panel.
173. McPHEE, John. Heirs of General Practice. NY: FSG (1986). A trade paperback, the first separate appearance of one piece from Table of Contents. A little-known volume, reportedly printed primarily for distribution to an AMA convention, and not aimed at the book market in general. Fine in wrappers.
174. MILLER, Henry. Max and the White Phagocytes. Paris: Obelisk Press [1938]. The second volume in the Villa Seurat series, published in an edition of 1,000 copies by Obelisk, which had published Tropic of Cancer in 1934 and Black Spring in 1936 and would publish Tropic of Capricorn in 1939. A fine copy, in self-wraps, and the nicest copy we have seen of this title in years. A large, fragile book, seldom found in this condition. In custom folding chemise and slipcase.
175. MILLER, Henry. Money and How It Gets That Way. Paris: Booster Publications [1938]. A fragile volume in wrappers, published in an edition of 495 copies. Pages uncut, a fine copy in wrappers; in a custom clamshell box. An especially nice copy of this title. A 1986 note from a bookseller is laid in, in which he states that this is only the second copy of it he's seen in 40 years.
176. MOORE, Lorrie. Self-Help. NY: Knopf, 1985. The first book, a collection of stories, by this Granta 20 author. Mild foxing to top edge, else fine in a near fine dust jacket with some faint dampstaining at the lower edge of the rear panel.
177. MOORE, Lorrie. Who Will Run the Frog Hospital? NY: Vintage, 2003. An advance copy of the tenth anniversary edition of Moore's first bestseller, published by Knopf in 1994. These sheets are taken from a later printing of the Warner Books edition. 8 1/2" x 11"; tapebound, with publicity material, in a acetate cover. Fine.
178. MORRELL, David. The Totem. NY: M. Evans (1979). The fourth book, third novel, by the author of First Blood -- basis for the movie, Rambo -- among others. Morrell has since become a bestselling and award-winning writer of thrillers and horror fiction. He taught English at the University of Iowa for a number of years, before devoting himself to writing full-time. Owner blindstamp on half title and sunning to board edges; else fine in a fine, price-clipped dust jacket.
Inscribed to John Gardner
179. MORRISON, Toni. Tar Baby. NY: Knopf, 1981. The first trade edition of the fourth novel by the Pulitzer and Nobel Prize-winning author. Inscribed by Morrison to the novelist John Gardner: "Dear John -- love from Toni." Small spot to rear cloth; sticker removal shadow front pastedown; else fine in a near fine, spine-faded dust jacket. A nice association copy between two of the most highly regarded American novelists at the time. Provenance on request.
180. MORRISON, Toni. Typed Note Signed. June 28, 1982. A brief note to author John Gardner, written in Morrison's capacity as Random House editor, conveying the uncorrected proof copy of Christopher Leland's Mean Time. Typed by staff, but signed "Toni." Morrison has also crossed out the "Gardner" in her address. The Leland proof (NY: Random House, 1982) is also included. The proof has some lower dampstaining; the note is fine.
181. MORRISON, Toni. Beloved. NY: Knopf, 1987. Her fifth novel, which won the Pulitzer Prize and was the basis for the award-winning 1998 film by Jonathan Demme. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
182. MUNRO, Alice. Runaway. (Toronto): McClelland & Stewart (2004). The latest collection of stories by the three-time winner of the Governor General's Award, Canada's, among innumerable other awards. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
183. MURAKAMI, Haruki. Kafka on the Shore. NY: Knopf, 2005. The advance reading copy of the first American edition of his latest book, which was a huge bestseller in Japan. Fine in wrappers.
184. MURDOCH, Iris. The Sovereignty of Good. NY: Schocken Books (1971). The first American edition of this somewhat uncommon collection of three philosophical papers or lectures that Murdoch had given in the prior decade. This is the hardcover edition; there was apparently a simultaneous softcover as well. Fine in a very good dust jacket with heavy rubbing to the folds. With the bookplate of Robert Jones, novelist and onetime Editor-in-Chief of HarperCollins publishers.
185. MURDOCH, Iris. The Sea, the Sea. London: Chatto & Windus/Hogarth (1984). "The Collected Edition" of this novel first published in 1978. Inscribed by the author: "For Robert [Jones], over in Oxford, happily met, with best wishes, Iris." Fine in a very near fine dust jacket with two lamination creases. Laid in is an autograph letter signed to Jones, at Harper & Row, in part offering advice on his novel: "Don't worry about blank mind -- out of blankness the gods come." Folded in fourths, with envelope.
186. NAYLOR, Gloria. The Women of Brewster Place. NY: Viking (1982). Her highly praised first book, a novel constructed in seven stories. Winner of the American Book Award for best first novel of the year, and later the basis for an acclaimed television miniseries. Inscribed by the author, "in sisterhood." Top boards edge-sunned; else fine in a very near fine dust jacket with slight wear to the crown and corners.
187. NERUDA, Pablo. The Poetry of Pablo Neruda. NY: FSG (2003). The uncorrected proof copy of this nearly 1000-page volume of the Nobel Prize winner's poetry, the most comprehensive collection to be published in English. Slight spine lean; else fine in wrappers.