Catalog 150

(Berkeley), The Figures, (1976). The lettered limited edition of his second book, a collection of poetry published in an edition of 526 copies, this being one of 26 lettered copies signed by the author. Fine in wrappers. Very uncommon issue of this early book by Auster. Drenttel A2.   [#911001] $1,250

(Brewster), Parenthese, (1977). The limited edition of this title, which had a total printing of 750 copies; this is one of only 20 numbered copies signed by the author and the illustrator. Fine in stapled wrappers and dust jacket. One of the smallest limitations of an Auster work, and extremely scarce these days.   [#911002] $1,750

(NY), New Rivers Press, 1974. The scarce hardcover issue of his second book, a collection of poetry. The total edition was 600 copies, of which 200 were cloth and 400 were issued in wrappers. Well-known these days as a writer of fiction, Baxter's first novel wasn't published until 1987, seventeen years after his first book and thirteen years after this title. Inscribed by the author in 1982. Fine in a slightly rubbed, else fine dust jacket.   [#911007] $1,000

(NY), Grove Press, (1959)[c. 1962]. The first American edition of this classic novel of the Beat generation, which was not published in the U.S. until three years after its Paris publication, and until a legal challenge to its banning was successful. Such authors as Norman Mailer testified as to the literary value and accomplishment of Burroughs' work. Basis for the 1991 David Cronenberg film featuring Peter Weller, Judy Davis, Ian Holm, Julian Sands, and Roy Scheider. Lower rear corner bumped, thus near fine with the topstain bright, in a fine dust jacket with a couple of tiny nicks at heel and a tiny bit of rubbing at the rear spine fold.   [#911012] $1,200

NY, Viking, 1933. His second full-length novel, which was censored in New York and led to the author's arrest and prosecution on obscenity charges. Fine in a very near fine dust jacket, with a tiny chip at the top of the front spine fold and a tiny tear at the bottom of the front panel. A beautiful copy, doubtless one of the finest, if not the finest copy extant.   [#911018] $7,500

NY, Random House, (1948). Capote's first book, a collection of stories that put the author on the literary map at the age of 22. Fine in a fine dust jacket with the white spine-lettering completely white. Signed by the author. A beautiful, fresh and bright copy of his first book.   [#911019] $3,500

NY, McGraw-Hill, 1976. Carver's breakthrough book of short stories, his first book published by a major publisher and one of the most influential books in the renaissance of the short story form in the 1970s and beyond. Carver's stories were compared to those of Hemingway and Flannery O'Connor. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket. Probably the nicest copy we have ever seen.   [#911022] $5,000

NY, McGraw-Hill, 1976. The uncorrected proof copy of Carver's breakthrough book of short stories, his first book published by a major publisher and one of the most influential books in the renaissance of the short story form in the 1970s and beyond. Carver's stories were compared to those of Hemingway and Flannery O'Connor. Laid into this proof is a slip of paper that has been signed on both sides by Carver as well as an autograph note signed, apparently to his typist or editor, requesting certain corrections be made to several pages of an unidentified work (not, apparently, this proof). Publisher's information slip pasted to front cover and again to title page; fine in wrappers. Housed in an attractive custom quarter leather clamshell box.   [#911023] $6,500

Boston, Houghton Mifflin, 1976. The limited advance edition of his splendid first novel, basis for the excellent film with Robert Duvall in the title role. One of reportedly 35 copies of the uncorrected proof, and proof jacket, bound in leather. This copy is signed by Conroy. A bit of handling to covers, still very close to fine. The text of the front jacket flap was changed between this version and the published version: "...his daughters to provide their husbands (Marines, naturally) with a good lay" was changed to "with a good home." An unusual and uncommon edition, and especially scarce signed.   [#911028] $2,500

NY, Random House, 1940. A fine copy of the first issue, in a very near fine, price-clipped, first issue dust jacket with the slightest of rubbing, and a short, barely noticeable tear on the rear panel. A beautiful copy of the first volume of the Snopes trilogy, and one that has grown exceptionally uncommon in collectable condition.   [#911031] $13,500

NY, Harper & Row, (1970). The uncorrected proof copy of the Colombian Nobel Prize winner's masterwork, his second book published here and first novel. This proof copy is in the very fragile "pad-bound" format, which presumably accounts for its extreme scarcity: pad-bound proofs, because of the way they're constructed, tend to lose their front or rear covers over time; what was undoubtedly a scarce proof to begin with is now exceptionally rare. This proof differs from the published edition by the inclusion of a review of the Spanish language edition of the book. A near fine copy.   [#911037] $7,500

NY, Viking, (1964). Kesey's second novel, the presumed first issue, with Viking ship logo on first half-title, in the first issue dust jacket with photo credited to Hank Krangler instead of Hank Kranzler. Inscribed by Kesey with a full-page drawing on the front free endpaper -- a drawing of a shelf of books, the titles of which comprise the inscription, above a record player, the music of which is represented and gives the message "I'll be seeing you/ Ken Kesey." The inscription reads as follows: "For Bill & Ann.. - / [The following as book titles on a shelf] So/ until/ more/ time or place/ when face to face/ we try one/ other scene/ or what I mean/ is/ when again/ we see/ what then/ ?/ and lock/ our horns/ in trial and/ laff and/ talk.../ [As music] I'll be seeing/ [As knobs on an amplifier/ YOU/ [signed] Ken Kesey." The image also contains what appears to be a supersonic jet flying over the bookshelf, with the annotation "ROAR" trailing behind it. The recipients were Bill Gilliland and his wife, Ann. Gilliland was a Texas friend of Larry McMurtry, who worked in a bookstore with McMurtry in the early and mid-1960s and who, as a result of his friendship with McMurtry -- who was a good friend of Kesey's -- hosted Kesey when he came to Dallas in 1964, shortly after the publication of Sometimes a Great Notion, to give a reading and talk at the Wellesley College Club Books & Authors luncheon. McMurtry and Kesey had become friends at Stanford University, where they both participated in Wallace Stegner's Writing Workshop, and McMurtry hung out with Kesey at Perry Lane, where an early psychedelic scene flourished, which later moved to La Honda, where the Merry Pranksters were born. McMurtry's Perry Lane time was recounted in his novel All My Friends Are Going to Be Strangers. Kesey's talk at the Wellesley College Club was controversial and in some respects famously unsuccessful. He was invited because he was a promising, up-and-coming young author of a critically acclaimed second novel, just recently published; but Kesey was already embarked on the trajectory that would lead him away from the literary life and toward becoming an icon of the counterculture, having recently completed his cross-country trip with the Pranksters in the school bus they called Furthur. Instead of simply giving a reading as everyone expected, Kesey turned the occasion into a piece of performance art, engaging the audience -- largely made up of wealthy, rather formal Dallas matrons -- in unexpected and provocative ways, tossing rubber balls at them unexpectedly and generally disrupting any sense of decorum that might have prevailed on the occasion. Afterward it was made clear he would never be invited back; it wasn't clear if he would even receive the agreed-upon fee for his speaking, and when he returned home to Gilliland's house he got very stoned, if he wasn't already, and drew the inscription in this book. Gilliland described all this later, and a Dallas newspaper apparently covered the occasion as well. An early, unique inscription by Kesey, roughly contemporary with publication of the book and perhaps the closest thing to a poem that we have seen Kesey write. Probably the best Kesey inscription we've ever encountered.   [#911056] $12,500

[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

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

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, 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

(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

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

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, 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

(NY), Delacorte/Seymour Lawrence, (1972). The uncorrected proof copy of O'Brien's first book, printed using the title and subtitle that preceded its published title -- If I Die in a Combat Zone. Laid in is a letter from the publisher, Seymour Lawrence, to Peter Braestrup, a former war correspondent for The New York Times and The Washington Post, soliciting comments for the dust jacket. The proof is dated August 12, 1972; Lawrence's letter is dated October 12, 1972. The book was published in March, 1973. One of the scarcest proofs of this era: we have only seen one other copy of it, and that was in Tim O'Brien's own collection. Signed by the author.   [#911093] $12,500

(NY), Delacorte/Seymour Lawrence, (1973). His first book, a highly praised memoir of the Vietnam war in which O'Brien uses some of the techniques of fiction to convey the experience of Vietnam from the grunt's perspective with immediacy and power. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket. The book has none of the fading to the extremities of the boards that is typical of this title. One of the nicest copies we've seen, if not the nicest.   [#911094] $4,500

(NY), Delacorte/Lawrence, (1975). The uncorrected proof copy of his second novel, a tale of two brothers in the wilderness of northern Minnesota, one of them a war veteran, the other a veteran of the protests against that war. Approximately 5-1/4" x 10-1/2", with holograph page numbers. This copy has the publication date and price handwritten on the front cover, along with a note of transmittal, in part, "...this is the guy who has all the friends in Mpls..." O'Brien is a relentless reviser and re-writer, and this proof varies from the published text in at least one substantial degree -- a two-page section in the proof has been deleted from the final book. Minor corner stain, light edge-sunning and a bit of surface soiling; very good in tall wrappers. Signed by the author. Scarce: we've only seen a couple of copies in the last two decades or more.   [#911095] $3,000

Santa Barbara, Neville, 1980. His first limited edition, a chapter that was excised from Going After Cacciato and later appeared, in a much reworked version, in The Things They Carried. Of a total edition of 326 copies, this is the dedication copy. The printed dedication page reads, "For Greg O'Brien, my brother." The printed colophon page, which is signed by the author, reads, "This is Greg O'Brien's copy." Additionally, the copy is inscribed by the author: "To Greg, Love, Tim." Bound in full leather. Fine. Unique.   [#911099] $3,000

NY, Harcourt Brace, (1934). O'Hara's famous first book, realistically detailing the three-day disintegration of Julian English in O'Hara's invented city of Gibbsville, PA. Errata slip. Fine in a fine, first issue dust jacket. The nicest copy that we have seen, and probably the nicest copy there is. Although O'Hara's literary reputation has slipped over time, Appointment in Samarra nonetheless was named to the Modern Library list of the best 100 novels of the 20th century. An important debut, and a stunning copy.   [#911104] $30,000

(Toronto), (Coach House), (1967). His first book, a volume of poetry. One of 500 numbered copies. This copy is inscribed by Ondaatje, "with best wishes," in 1968. Fine in a very near fine dust jacket with just a bit of creasing to the upper edge.   [#911106] $2,500

(Toronto), (Coach House), (1969). The hardcover issue. Nicely inscribed by the author "with best wishes & love" in 1970. One of 300 numbered copies of the true first edition of this very uncommon title. Fine in a dust jacket with a touch of foxing, else fine.   [#911107] $3,000