Dahl, Roald. Kiss Kiss. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1960.

Price: US$550.00 + shipping

Condition: Very Good

Description: First edition, "first and second printings before publication." Inscribed by Dahl on front free endpaper: "For Erik Graham with best / wishes from / Roald Dahl." Publisher’s lavender cloth, pink designs outlined in black to front board and spine, titles in pink and black, deckled fore edge of text block; original dust jacket designed by Charles E. Skaggs with blue and red hearts to front panel and spine, titles lettered in white, photo of Dahl and his wife taken by Eli Wallach to rear panel. Very good book with light toning to spine and edges, a bit of spotting to edges, and a small spot of light dampstaining to rear board; near fine unclipped dust jacket with light toning to spine, a 1" closed tear and a closed tear with a tiny nick to top edge of front panel, and 1" closed tear to top of rear flap hinge. Overall, a very attractive copy, scarce as inscribed by the author. Kiss Kiss brings together eleven of Roald Dahl’s short stories that were previously published in magazines including The New Yorker and Playboy. Best known for his timeless children’s books Matilda (1988) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964), this collection of short stories is decidedly for adults, featuring dark and twisted themes. Some stories, like "William and Mary" and "The Way Up to Heaven," explore the deep resentments that can build up between married couples. "The Champion of the World" was later reworked by Dahl into the children’s book Danny, the Champion of the World (1975), which tells the story of a father and son who poach pheasants from wealthy Victor Hazell’s woods. It was included on Time magazine’s list of the 100 Best Young-Adult Books of All Time.

Seller: B & B Rare Books, Ltd., ABAA, New York, NY, U.S.A.

DAHL, Roald.. Kiss Kiss.. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1960, 1960.

Price: US$2254.83 + shipping

Description: First edition, first printing, of this collection of 11 short stories for adults, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, "Christopher Radmell, with all good wishes, from, Roald Dahl". The recipient is known to have had other books signed by Dahl including Fantastic Mr Fox and The Magic Finger. As noted by the blurb, "ever since his stories first appeared in the United States, people have been retelling each other. Roald Dahl's sometimes shocking and always unpredictable plots. The stories in Kiss Kiss are no less haunting and no less brilliantly told". Octavo. Original light purple cloth, spine and front cover lettered in black on pink ground, rear cover with publisher's device in black, top edge pink. With dust jacket. Extremities slightly bumped; jacket somewhat toned, extremities and hinges worn, damp staining to verso together with small adhesive tape repair to spine, paper slightly rippled, not price-clipped; a very good copy in a very good jacket.

Seller: Peter Harrington. ABA/ ILAB., London, United Kingdom