A first edition of Mary Shelley’s 1818 “Frankenstein: or The Modern Prometheus” in the original pink boards brought a monster price of $843,750 at a recent Heritage Auction sale. (PC Heritage)
FRANKENSTEIN BRINGS A MONSTER PRICE AT HERITAGE
What’s not to like about an auction that brings together three of the great works of fiction and gets top dollar for them all. Here’s a brief reportfrom antiquetrader.comnoting “a first edition copy of Mary Shelley’s 1818 “Frankenstein: or The Modern Prometheus” rampaged through Heritage Auctions recently, selling for $843,750. The sale was part ofThe William A. Strutz Library, Part I, Rare Books Signature Auctionthat totaled $5,655,439. Two other standouts in the sale were The Great Gatsbyinscribed by F. Scott Fitzgerald that realized $425,000 and a presentation copy of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit that went for $300,000. Check out the links for additional photos.
NY Times Best Books of the 21st Century (so far)
In July the New York Times announced a list of what they say their panel of experts are calling the Best Books of the 21st Century(so far)
Here are the authors and titles of the Top 10 “as voted on by 503 novelists, nonfiction writers, poets, critics and other book lovers — with a little help from the staff of The New York Times Book Review.”
The NYT’s Top 10
1. My Brilliant Friendby Elena Ferrante; trans. by Ann Goldstein 2012
2. The Warmth of Other Sunsby Isabel Wilkerson 2010
3. Wolf Hallby Hilary Mantel 2009
4. The Known Worldby Edward P. Jones 2003
5. The Correctionsby Jonathan Franzen 2001
6. 2666by Roberto Bolaño; trans by Natasha Wimmer 2008
7. The Underground Railroadby Colson Whitehead 2016
8. Austerlitzby W.G. Sebald; translated by Anthea Bell 2001
9. Never Let Me Goby Kazuo Ishiguro 2005
10.GileadBy Marilynne Robinson 2004
Everyone's a Critic
Here’s acritiqueof the NYT’s choices by Lincoln Michel; it ran in Substack and asks the questions: Where are the young writers? Why so much fiction, and autobiographical fiction at that? And what happened to the genre-benders? Some good points raised here. Read it for yourself and see if you agree?
The NY Times Readers Have Their Own Opinions
The Times also did a reprise when a little later in July they published a second list showcasing their Readers’ Pick of the 100 Best Books of the 21st Century (so far). Here are the top 10 on the 2nd list. The editors said that there were 39 items on both lists and 61 that only appear on the Readers’ Picks. Here are the Top 10.
4. The Goldfinch byDonna Tartt. No. 46 on the Book Review’s list
5. Pachinko byMin Jin Lee. No. 15 on the Book Review’s list
6. EducatedbyTara Westover
7. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow byGabrielle Zevin. No. 76 on the Book Review’s list
8. My Brilliant Friend byElena Ferrante; trans.by Ann Goldstein. No. 1 on the Book Review’s list
9. Never Let Me Go byKazuo Ishiguro. No. 9 on the Book Review’s list
10. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. No. 93 on the Book Review’s list
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HILLBILLY ELEGY SHOOTS TO #1 ON AMAZONon news that its author, J.D Vance, was selected as the GOP nominee for Vice President of the United States. Opinion seems to be divided whether the 2016 memoir of Appalachian life and values is a good book, but for sure it’s this month’s hot title. Got an extra 11:32? Check out YouTubeto hear what "White Trash" historian Nancy Isenberg has to say about Vance, his book and class in America.
AUGUST NOT HOT ENOUGH FOR YOU? Just wait till September when Banned Book Weekcomes up from the 22nd–28th. The theme for 2024 is “Freed between the lines.”In advance of the occasion the Delaware Division of Libraries posted a list of Top 13 most frequently challenged books.
Sotheby’s Shelf Life: Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper from the Library of Stanley J. Seeger and Christopher Cone 25 June – July 7
Sotheby’s, July 7: Ludwig van Beethoven. Autograph sketches for the overture "Die Weihe des Hauses", op.124, [1822], UNPUBLISHED. £150,000 to £200,000.
Sotheby’s, July 7: Jane Austen. Pride and Prejudice, 1813, first edition, 3 volumes, contemporary half calf. £50,000 to £70,000.
Sotheby’s, July 7: Walt Whitman. Leaves of Grass, Brooklyn, 1855, first edition, first issue, original green cloth, the Doheny copy. £50,000 to £70,000.
Sotheby’s, July 7: Binding—Sangorski & Sutcliffe—Omar Khayyam. Rubaiyat, London, 1872, third edition, in a magnificent jewelled Peacock binding. £15,000 to £20,000.
Sotheby’s, July 7: George Eliot. Middlemarch, Edinburgh and London, 1871, first edition in the original parts. £20,000 to £30,000.
Forum Auctions The Private Library: Fine Printing & Private Press books, the collection of the late David Chambers July 9, 2026
Forum, July 9: Hassall (Joan) A large collection of over 300 original woodblocks of engravings for various books, v.d., with Hassall's engraver's glass water-globe (Qty) - Est. £10,000-15,000
Forum, July 9: Eragny Press.- [Bradley (Katherine Harris) & Edith Emma Cooper], "Michael Field." Whym Chow, Flame of Love, one of only 27 copies, inscribed by Bradley, the rarest book from the press, 1914. - Est. £3,000-4,000
Forum, July 9: [Moore (Thomas Sturge)] [Wood Engravings], 71 wood-engravings printed by David Chambers from the original blocks, the only set on Japanese Hosho paper, from an edition of 5 sets, [1970]. - Est. £3,000-4,000
Forum Auctions The Private Library: Fine Printing & Private Press books, the collection of the late David Chambers July 9, 2026
Forum, July 9: La Fontaine (Jean de) Contes et Nouvelles en vers, 2 vol., engraved plates after Eisen, fine early 19th century blue morocco, gilt, by Bradel l'ainé, Amsterdam [Paris], 1762. - Est. £2,000-3,000
Forum, July 9: Erotica.- Prostitution.- Pretty Women of Paris (The); Their Names and Addresses, Qualities and Faults..., [Paris], privately printed at the Press of the Prefecture de Police, 1883. - Est. £3,000-4,000
Forum, July 9: Vale Press.- Ricketts (Charles) & Lucien Pissarro. De la Typographie et de l'Harmonie de la Page Imprimée…, [one of 216 copies], bound in dark blue morocco tooled in gilt, by Sarah T.Prideaux, 1898. - Est. £1,000-1,500
Forum Auctions The Private Library: Fine Printing & Private Press books, the collection of the late David Chambers July 9, 2026
Forum, July 9: Martin (John) Illustrations of the Bible, complete set of 20 mezzotints, good impressions, rarely found in early states, [c.1831-1835]. - Est. £1,000-1,500
Forum, July 9: Golden Cockerel Press.- Four Gospels of the Lord Jesus Christ (The), one of 500 copies, Mary Gill's copy, Waltham St. Lawrence, 1931 with a signed proof of engraving on japon numbered 10/10 (2) - Est. £5,000-7,000
Forum, July 9: Boccaccio (Giovanni) The Decameron, 3 vol., vol.1 extra-illustrated by John Buckland Wright with c.150 erotic original drawings in pen & ink and pencil, 1886 [extra-illustrated c.1940]. - Est. £10,000-15,000
Forum Auctions The Private Library: Fine Printing & Private Press books, the collection of the late David Chambers July 9, 2026
Forum, July 9: Cox (Morris) Collection of Gogmagog Press Books, 35 vol., rare complete collection of printed books issued by the press, limited editions, most signed by Cox, 1957-83. - Est. £10,000-15,000
Forum, July 9: Wynkyn de Worde.- [Terentius Afer (Publius)] [Comedie...], [Paris, Josse Badius: sold in London by Wynkyn de Worde, & others], [15 July 1504]. - Est. £4,000-6,000
Forum, July 9: Mosley (James) Ornamented Types. Twenty-Three Alphabets from the Foundry of Louis John Pouchée, 2 vol., one of 10 copies for presentation, from an edition of 210, 1992-93. - Est. £1,000-2,000
Forum Auctions The 10th Anniversary Sale Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper July 16, 2026
Forum, July 16: Inundation papyrus. P.Michael 4, the ‘Inundation papyrus’, a geographical account of the Nile near Canopus, in Greek, remains of two columns from a manuscript scroll on papyrus, Egypt, second century CE. £12,000-18,000
Forum, July 16: Book of Hours, use of Sarum, manuscript on vellum, 6 full-page miniatures, with famous Middle English inscriptions, Southern Netherlands for the English market, [c.1430]. £30,000-50,000
Forum, July 16: Qu'ran, Arabic manuscript on burnished, stencilled, and gold-flecked paper, 447ff., Sultanate Gujarat, Ahmadabad, [after 1411 but no later than 1442]. £15,000-20,000
Forum Auctions The 10th Anniversary Sale Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper July 16, 2026
Forum, July 16: Turner (William). A New boke of the natures and properties of all wines that are commonly vsed here in England, rare first edition of the first English book on wine, By William Seres, 1568. £20,000-£30,000
Forum, July 16: Spenser (Edmund). The Faerie Queene. first edition, Printed [by John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, 1590. £30,000-40,000
Forum, July 16: Shakespeare (William). The Comedie of Errors, extracted from the first folio, Isaac Jaggard and Edward Blount, 1623. £15,000-20,000
Forum Auctions The 10th Anniversary Sale Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper July 16, 2026
Forum, July 16: Fleming (Ian). Casino Royale, first edition, signed presentation inscription from the author, 1953. £40,000-60,000
Forum, July 16: d'Agoty (Jacques-Fabien Gautier). Anatomie de la Tête, first edition, Paris, chez le Sieur Gautier, 1748. £10,000-15,000
Forum, July 16: Martial Arts.- Lee (Bruce). 'Praying Mantis style' Kung Fu book, containing numerous annotations, diagrams and graphs in Bruce Lee's hand, c. 1960. £50,000-70,000
Forum Auctions The 10th Anniversary Sale Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper July 16, 2026
Forum, July 16: Warre (Capt. Henry James). Sketches in North America and the Oregon Territory, first edition, rare hand-coloured issue, 1848. £30,000-40,000
Forum, July 16: Norie (John William). The Marine Atlas, or Seaman's Complete Pilot for all the principal places in the known world..., 1826. £30,000-50,000
Forum, July 16: Mao Tse-tung.- Kim Il-sung.-[Note book for visitors from China to Korea], signed by Mao and Kim, [Beijing, 1954]. £10,000-15,000
