Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
Nabokov, Vladimir. NIKOLAI GOGOL. New Directions, Norfolk, Connecticut, 1944.
Price: US$7500.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: First edition, later issue. The fifth volume in The Makers of Modern Literature series. Octavo: 172 p. with a frontispiece portrait and one additional plate. Original tan cloth binding, with blue titles. A near fine copy in the second state dust jacket designed by Alvin Lustig, with some mild toning and edgewear Signed by the author on the front flyleaf: Vladimir Nabokov 12 - VII - 1949 Salt Lake City Nabokov (1899-1977) had the beginnings of Lolita knocking around in his head when he drove to Salt Lake City for the second Writers' Conference at the University of Utah (July 5-16, 1949). In attendance were Oscar Williams, Wallace Stegner, Martha Foley, and John Crowe Ransom - all formidable figures in the literary world, but none caught the attention of Nabokov quite like former political cartoonist and two-time author Ted Geisel, better known today as Dr. Seuss, with whom the Russian-American novelist shared a friendship for many years. Nabokov returned to Utah in 1956 to hunt butterflies and work on Pnin (1957), the novel which launched his career into literary prominence.
Seller: johnson rare books & archives, ABAA, Covina, CA, U.S.A.
Price: US$15000.00 + shipping
Description: First Edition. Signed by Author. First edition, First State with five titles to advertisement page and four titles to rear flap of the Alvin Lustig designed dust wrapper which is also first state with the $1.50 price unclipped. 12mo., [i] + [vi] + 1-174. A very good copy, the spine ev er so slightly darkened with a couple of very small stains at the heel, the dust wrapper a very good & bright example with a narrow 3/16ths bit of loss at the crown. An outstanding copy of Nabokov's extensive & very important early essay of his countryman, as this copy is inscribed by the master & embellished with one of his famous butterfly sketches to his dear friends of over 40 years, the Thompsons: "To Lisbeth and Bertrand with the author's love / Cambridge, Mass / Sept. 1944". The book was published by New Directions, August 15th, 1944 making this a very early inscription. Genuine Nabokov presentations are uncommon especially those of a personal & generous nature. Julian A22.1 Nabokov's distinguished contribution [the fifth] to the Makers Of Modern Literature Series By New Directions. Preceded by works on: Joyce, Woolf, Forster & Lorca.
Seller: TBCL The Book Collector's Library, Montreal, QC, Canada