Christie’s Masterpieces of Modern Literature
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place in New York on October 11, featured 375 lots of such poignant and revered
authors and poets as Hemmingway, Joyce and Eliot. With a total sell through of
almost $7 million, and several books that have had an enduring influence on both
culture and popular culture in the last century, this auction proved that the
book market is extremely strong and that, as much as we dreaded reading them in
high school, classic works of literature are bringing record prices. In addition
to twelve Ian Fleming books that sold for a total of $305,681, some auction
highlights include:
First Edition, Limited issue book was inscribed by Joyce to Henry Kaeser. It
sold for $460,500.
edition is inscribed by Nabokov to friend and contempoary Graham Greene. It sold
for $273,500.
came with a very scarce dust jacket and was inscribed by Joyce to his publisher,
Crosby Gaige. It sold for $262,500.
edition is inscribed by Kerouac to his lover, Joyce Johnson. There is also an
inscription from Johnson confirming the first inscription! It sold for
$185,500.
gorgeous edition of Lolita, but this one was inscribed by Nabokov to,
interestingly enough, his wife. It sold for $163,500.
Sons, 1925. This edition features a first-state dust jacket, with a lowercase
“j” in “Jay Gatsby” on the rear panel hand-corrected in ink. It sold for
$163,500.
McGraw-Hill, 1969. This is Nabokov’s meticulously annotated copy. It sold for
$119,500.
copy of Ulysses is number 282 of 750 copies that were printed on handmade
paper from an edition of 1,000. it sold for $119,500.
Scribner’s Sons, 1934. This edition is inscribed by Fitzgerald to Donald Ogden
Stewart with the interesting message, “Dear Don: This will amuse you I think.
Scott.” It sold for $119,500.
STOKER, Bram. Dracula. Westminster:
Archibald Constable and Company, 1897.
This very early presentation
copy is inscribed by Stoker to noted collector Henry A. Blyth. It sold for
$47,800.
BAUM, L. Frank. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Chicago: Geo.
M. Hill Co., 1900. This first edition, first issue is inscribed with four lines
of verse from Baum to his sweetheart, Beth. It sold for
$152,500.
TOLKIEN, J.R.R. [The Lord of the Rings Trilogy:] The
Fellowship of the Ring. 1954 – The Two Towers. 1954 – The Return
of the King. 1955. All London: Allen & Unwen Ltd. These three volumes
are each inscribed from Tolkien to his son Michael and each features a folding
map. They sold for $152,500.
WELLS, H.G. The War of the Worlds.
London: William Heinemann, 1898. This first edition, presentation copy is
inscribed by Wells to a fellow Strand author. It sold for $23,900.
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<div>NABOKOV, Vladimir. <i>Lolita</i>. New York: Putnam, [1958]. Yet another
gorgeous edition of Lolita, but this one was inscribed by Nabokov to,
interestingly enough, his wife. It sold for $163,500.<br></div>
<div>FITZGERALD, F. Scott. <i>The Great Gatsby</i>. New York: Charles Scribner’s
Sons, 1925. This edition features a first-state dust jacket, with a lowercase
”j” in ”Jay Gatsby” on the rear panel hand-corrected in ink. It sold for
$163,500.<br></div>
<div>NABOKOV, Vladimir. <i>Ada, or Ardor. A Family Chronicle.</i> New York:
McGraw-Hill, 1969. This is Nabokov’s meticulously annotated copy. It sold for
$119,500.<br></div>
<div>JOYCE, James. <i>Ulysses</i>. Paris: Shakespeare and Company, 1922. This
copy of <i>Ulysses </i>is number 282 of 750 copies that were printed on handmade
paper from an edition of 1,000. it sold for $119,500.<br></div>
<div>FITZGERALD, F. Scott. <i>Tender is the Night.</i> New York: Charles
Scribner’s Sons, 1934. This edition is inscribed by Fitzgerald to Donald Ogden
Stewart with the interesting message, ”Dear Don: This will amuse you I think.
Scott.” It sold for $119,500.<br><br>STOKER, Bram. <i>Dracula. </i>Westminster:
Archibald Constable and Company, 1897.<i> </i> <br>This very early presentation
copy is inscribed by Stoker to noted collector Henry A. Blyth. It sold for
$47,800.<br><br>BAUM, L. Frank. <i>The Wonderful Wizard of Oz</i>. Chicago: Geo.
M. Hill Co., 1900. This first edition, first issue is inscribed with four lines
of verse from Baum to his sweetheart, Beth. It sold for
$152,500.<br><br>TOLKIEN, J.R.R. [The Lord of the Rings Trilogy:] <i>The
Fellowship of the Ring. </i>1954 - <i>The Two Towers</i>. 1954 - <i>The Return
of the King</i>. 1955. All London: Allen & Unwen Ltd. These three volumes
are each inscribed from Tolkien to his son Michael and each features a folding
map. They sold for $152,500.<br><br>WELLS, H.G. <i>The War of the Worlds</i>.
London: William Heinemann, 1898. This first edition, presentation copy is
inscribed by Wells to a fellow <i>Strand</i> author. It sold for $23,900.
<br><br><br></div>
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on, along with artists such as Wally
Wood, Harvey Kurtzman, and oth