Rare Book Monthly
Book Catalogue Reviews - November - 2006 Issue
Literary Firsts and Poetry from Alexander Rare Books
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Vladamir Nabokov is most unusual among great writers in that he wrote novels in multiple languages. Raised in Russia in a household where English and French were also spoken, he wrote in his native Russian until he was 40. However, he left Russia after the revolution, and after a time in England, settled in Germany. From there he continued to write in Russian, but with the war approaching, he escaped to France, and then to the United States ahead of German invading troops. In America, he switched to English, in which he wrote for the remainder of his life. He is best known for the controversial 1955 book, "Lolita." However, he had a long and acclaimed career of other works in both languages. Item 79 is the first English translation of his last Russian work, The Gift. This novel was first published in Russian in 1938, but the English language edition did not come out until 1963. While Nabokov did not do the translation himself, as he did with others of his works, he did keep a close and critical eye on the job and make revisions. Item 70. $90.
"aretha/crystal jukebox queen of hymn and him diffused in drunk transfusion wound would heed sweet soundwave crippled & cry salute..." Okay, who is this? And what does it mean? The answer to the first question is Bob Dylan; to the second, who knows, maybe nothing. Dylan never seemed to take his lyrics as seriously as his legions of fans. These come from his only novel, Tarantula, and Alexander has three of the pirated pre-publication editions available. Priced at $175-$350. Personally, I prefer Dylan with music. Here's a less expensive alternative: Pass Thru The Fire: The Collected Lyrics, by Lou Reed. Reed may not be selling iPods, but his influence on rock may well be more noticeable today than Dylan's. Hey, why don't you swallow razor blades? $30.
Alexander Rare Books may be reached at 802-476-0838 or at alexanderbooks@charter.net.
Rare Book Monthly
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ALDE, Apr. 8: GUEVARA (ANTONIO DE). Histoire de Marc-Aurèle, Empereur Romain, vray miroir et horloge des Princes. Paris, Pierre et Galliot du Pré, frères, 1565. €3,000 to €4,000.ALDE, Apr. 8: HEURES DE LA VIERGE. Horæ in laudem beatissimæ virginis Mariæ ad usum Romanum. Paris, Charles L'Angelier, 1556. €4,000 to €5,000.ALDE, Apr. 8: MONTAIGNE (MICHEL DE). Les Essais. Édition nouvelle, trouvée après le deceds de l'autheur… Paris, Abel L'Angelier, 1595. €6,000 to €8,000.ALDE, Apr. 8: [ROJAS (FERNANDO DE)]. Celestina, tragicomedia di Calisto et Melibea, tradotta de lingua castigliana in italiano idioma… Venise, 1531. €2,000 to €3,000.ALDE, Apr. 8: CAMÕES (LUÍS DE). Os Lusiadas. Lisbonne, Pedro Crasbeeck, 1613. €2,000 to €3,000.ALDE, Apr. 8: CERVANTES (MIGUEL DE). El Ingenioso hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha. Bruxelles, Roger Velpius & Huberto Antonio, 1611. €6,000 to €8,000.ALDE, Apr. 8: LA FONTAINE (JEAN DE). Fables choisies, mises en vers. Paris, Denys Thierry et Claude Barbin, 1678-1694. €6,000 to €8,000.ALDE, Apr. 8: CERVANTES (MIGUEL DE). El Ingenioso hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha. Madrid, Joaquin Ibarra, 1780. €3,000 to €4,000.ALDE, Apr. 8: DIDEROT (DENIS) ET JEAN LE ROND D'ALEMBERT. Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers. Paris, 1751-1765. €15,000 to €20,000.ALDE, Apr. 8: [LIVRE TISSÉ]. LAMARTINE (Alphonse de). Les Laboureurs. Poème tiré de Jocelyn… Lyon, J. A. Henry, 1883. €8,000 to €10,000.ALDE, Apr. 8: [LIVRE TISSÉ]. Livre de prières tissé d'après les enluminures des manuscrits du XIVe au XVIe siècle. Lyon, [A. Roux], 1886. €5,000 to €6,000. -
Sotheby’s
Books, Manuscripts & Objects from Three Important Collections
Open for Bidding 2-17 AprilSotheby’s, Apr. 2-17: [Guillaume de Lorris and Jean de Meun]. Le Roman de la Rose, [Geneva or Lyons, c.1481], first printed edition of the most important medieval French vernacular poem. £200,000 to £300,000.Sotheby’s, Apr. 2-17: Castiglione. Il libro del cortegiano. [Venice], April 1528, first edition, in a magnificent binding by Jean Picard for Jean Grolier. £100,000 to £150,000.Sotheby’s, Apr. 2-17: Jacobus de Cessolis. Schachzabelbuch, Strasbourg, 1483, von der Lasa copy. £50,000 to £70,000.Sotheby’s, Apr. 2-17: World Championship, 1972. A collection of 84 press photographs of the famed match between Spassky and Fischer. £2,000 to £3,000.Sotheby’s, Apr. 2-17: Ben Franklin. Autograph letter signed, to Lord Shelburne, British Prime Minister, during peace negotiations, November 1782. £15,000 to £20,000.