HORSEMAN, PASS BY

New York: Harper & Brothers, 1961. FIRST EDITION. 212 x 146 mm. (8 3/8 x 5 3/4"). 3 p.l., 179, [5] pp.
Publisher's black paper boards backed in mustard yellow cloth, upper cover with the publisher's circular stamp containing initials "H B" and a torch motif, spine with black lettering, original dust jacket. INSCRIBED AND SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR in ink on front free endpaper, "To Mr. Combie -- / who stuck it out through two of my classes -- / with sincere / best wishes -- / Larry McMurtry." ◆One corner slightly bumped, a hint of edge wear, one opening with a couple of very small marginal stains, otherwise in excellent condition. Jacket edges, corners, and head and tail of spine a little worn and chipped, a couple of very light stains, but overall in very nice condition and with no major condition issues.

This is the first edition of McMurtry's acclaimed first novel, published when the author was just 25 years old. Set on a Texas cattle ranch in the 1950s, this coming-of-age story is told through the eyes of 17-year-old Lonnie, who lives with his grandfather's family. Life on the ranch becomes increasingly disrupted by the behavior of Lonnie's step-uncle, a cowboy called Hud, whose lack of empathy leads to deadly consequences. The novel won the Texas Institute of Letters' award for fiction in 1962, is included on A. C. Greene's list of "The 50 Best Books on Texas," and was adapted into the movie "Hud" starring Paul Newman. Although Larry McMurtry (1936-2021) is best known for his works of fiction set in Texas and the American West, including his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel "Lonesome Dove," he was also an award-winning screenwriter, memoirist, antiquarian bookseller, and teacher. The present work includes a delightful inscription from McMurtry to one of his former students..