[Rarebooks] REDUCTIONS: FIRST EDITIONS

[Norman Kane]

FAULKNER.  REQUIEM FOR A NUN. London, 1953. 1st UK edition. Approximately 7-1/4 x 5 inches in original light blue cloth with the original illustrated dust wrapper. Inked two-line notation on rear free endpaper. Dust wrapper a little rubbed at edges, top edge a bit dusty, and fore-edge with light spotting. A  bright copy.  ($40)  $15

MAILER.  BARBARY SHORE.  N. Y., (1951). 1st state with page numeral "48" clear and  unbroken. An excellent copy with only  slight rubbing to tips and head and heel of spine, in original dust wrapper printed in black, white and red, (some copies have black and green on the dust wrapper. No priority?). Dust wrapper a little worn at folds, spine a little faded, and very small closed tear at bottom of front cover.  Mailer's second novel.   ($40)  $15

AUDEN.  THE DYER’S HAND  AND OTHER ESSAYS.  N. Y., (1962).  1st edition in printed dust wrapper. Approximately 8-1/2 x 5-1/2 inches; vii, 527, [1] pages. Spine is a little darkened, otherwise an excellent copy in a very good dust wrapper. Bloomfield A45.a, "Much of the book consists of revised versions of the lectures delivered by Auden...at Oxford." The London edition was published five months later. ($40)  $15

LONDON.  THE GAME.  N. Y., 1905.  1st edition. BAL 11886. The "Metropolitan Magazine" copyright is stamped on the title page verso (form A). In original illustrated blue-green cloth with red lettering on front cover and gilt lettering on spine. Top edge gilt. Binding a little cocked. Includes six color illustration plates by Henry Hutt and T. C. Lawrence. (Woodbridge, #36, calls copies with the "Metropolitan" stamp a second issue). (Novel of the boxing ring.)
($40)  $15

WEST, NATHANIEL.  A COOL MILLION. THE DISMANTLING OF LEMUEL PITKIN. London, (1954). 1st London edition. Small 8vo in red cloth in original color dust wrapper. Front cover with small spot, and dust wrapper with corners a little chipped, lacking top half inch of spine, and back cover a little soiled--now in protective plastic cover. This satiric novel is dedicated to West's brother-in-law, S. J. Perelman. ($40)   $15

HUXLEY.  POINT COUNTER POINT.  Doubleday, 1928.  First US printing. Original cloth with paper title label. A fine copy in the scarce, original dust wrapper with several closed half-inch tears and a few tiny chips. A superior copy of this important book.  ($90)  $40

CAPOTE.  THE MUSES ARE HEARD.  N. Y., (1956). 1st printing. Original black cloth with silver, blue, and purple decorative squares and lettering, in the original printed dust wrapper. An excellent copy.  A narrative of the adventures of the members of the US stage production of "Porgy and Bess" on the 8-day journey by train between East Berlin and the USSR for its Russian premiere, as observed by Capote. ($40)  $15

STEIN.  PORTRAITS AND PRAYERS.  N. Y., (1934).  1st edition. Approximately 8 x 6 inches in original photo-illustrated boards backed in textured cloth with paper title label on spine. The two printed flaps of the dust wrapper are laid in; the glassine which connected them is gone. A literary and artistic who's who of the first three decades of the 20th Century. A little dusty at the edges, otherwise a very nice copy. ($60) $20

[CLEMENS].  MARK TWAIN’S SKETCHES NEW AND OLD.  Hartford, 1875.  Approximately 8-1/2 x 6-1/2 inches in original  sheep re-backed in cloth with original  leather title label (?) on spine. Label, with gilt lettering, a little edge-chipped. Cover edges moderately rubbed.  Endpapers replaced. With frontis and numerous text illustrations. Uncommon in sheep. ($100)  $45

LEWIS, SINCLAIR.  KINGSBLOOD ROYAL.  N. Y., 1947.  First edition in dust wrapper.  Fine/near fine.  Dust wrapper with just some minimal wear to edges.  ($75)  $30

HOWELLS.  THE SON OF ROYAL LANGBRITH.  N. Y., 1904.  First edition.  8 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches.  BAL 9758.  An excellent copy in the original decorated blue cloth stamped in white and ivory.  ($60)  $20

CRANE & BARR. THE O”RUDDY, A ROMANCE.  N. Y., 1903.  First edition in the preferred binding.  BAL 4097.  Pictorial cloth depicting a man cloaked in green, with a trusty sword at his side and a sturdy black hat on his head.  Bookplate and somewhat intrusive signature on title page.  Lovely frontispiece by C. D. Williams.  A nice copy with the expected light soiling to covers.  ($75)  $30

DUNSANY.  London & N.Y., 1926.  First edition of a fantasy book listed in Bleiler: "magic and witchcraft."  Clipping removed from rear end paper.  Inscribed by Rhys Carpenter, a noted archaeologist, art historian, etc.  7 3/4 x 5 1/2 inches, blue cloth stamped in gold.  A very good copy with some light wear.  ($55)  $20

ROTH.  THE GREAT AMERICAN NOVEL.  N. Y., 1973.  First edition.  9.5 x 6.5 inches.  Blue cloth in dust wrapper.  Fine/fine.  ($50)  $20

WALLER. THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY.  N. Y. 1992.  First edition.  7.75 x 5.25 inches.  Green and beige cloth in dust wrapper.  Book in fine condition except for one page tip which was turned down as a marker.  Dust wrapper bright and in fine condition.  ($40)  $15

MORRISON.  THE BELOVED.  N. Y., 1987.  First edition.   Fine condition with fine dust wrapper.  ($40)  $15

WYLIE.  THE ORPHAN ANGEL.  N. Y., 1926.  First edition: trade format, 7.75 x 5.25, light green cloth with pictorial dust wrapper.  BAL 23508.  First state of colophon and copyright notice.  Listed in Bleiler as "Fantasy of History."  Dust wrapper repaired on inside with matching paper.  3/8 x 1/4 inch piece of dust wrapper missing from top corner of spine. ( $55)  $20

WAUGH.  THE LOVED ONE.  Boston, 1948.  First U.S. edition, preceding the British edition.  7.75 x 5.25 inches, grey cloth with dust wrapper lightly worn.  Old gift inscription on front free end paper.  ($55)  $20

YEATS.  MYTHOLOGIES.  N. Y., 1959.  First U.S. edition.  9.5 x 6.25 inches; green and black cloth with original dust wrapper.  Fine/near fine.  ($60)  $25

TOMLINSON. THE TURN OF THE TIDE.  London, 1945.  First edition.  Grey cloth, 7.5 x 5 inches, with intact original dust wrapper, rubbed, with some chipping and small tears.  Signed inscription from the author ("Tommy") dated 1945.  Receipt of book purchase in 1950 from leading bookseller Bertram Rota laid-in.  Also laid-in is an autograph letter Bertram Rota on world events:  "I see no prospect of a change of heart in men, and fear the only effective influence on their actions will be self-interest.  Can they be taught that war is against everyone's interest?  If the lessons the world has had so far don't make that crystal clear, what will?  We can only be resolute ourselves and keep hoping."
($50) $20

BEHRMAN.  THE WORCESTER ACCOUNT.  N. Y., 1954.  Octavo, original brown cloth, with dust wrapper. Near fine in very good dust wrapper.  Dust wrapper has 1/2 inch tear on top rear, and two minor tears on the top front, otherwise clean and bright.   Inscribed by the author: "For Lew David Feldman, Some hint of my origins, from Sam.  New York: March, 1961." (Feldman was a prominent New York City bookseller).  ($60)  $25

THE AMERICANIST
(NORMAN KANE-ABAA EMERITUS)
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