Search Results: Women's Literature from B & B Rare Books, Ltd., ABAA

Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1912 First edition, usual second issue with title page preceding half-title page, in Crane’s “B” pictorial dust jacket, which was published a few weeks after the “A” typographic jacket. Publisher’s purple cloth with titles stamped in gilt to front board and spine; original dust jacket with illustration of man and woman dining by F. Graham Cootes to front panel, list of “New Fiction” to rear panel. Book with a touch of spotting to text block fore edge and endpapers, else fine; very good unclipped dust jacket with some wear to edges and spine ends, a bit of toning to spine, and a few small closed tears including two to top of rear panel. Overall, a beautiful book in an excellent example of its scarce dust jacket. Crane A5.a.i. Alexander's Bridge features the main character Bartley Alexander, a construction engineer who is famous for his bridges. Throughout the book, Alexander struggles to maintain two relationships-- one… Read More

London: Macmillan, 1960 First edition, first printing. Publisher's blue boards with titles in gilt to spine; dust jacket with front panel nightlife illustration by Victor Reinganum. Near fine copy with light toning to board edges and spine, a slight lean to spine, previous owner's signature on front free endpaper, and notes in pencil to rear free endpaper; very good unclipped dust jacket with light wear to extremities, light toning to spine, a few tiny closed tears to head of spine and rear inner flap, and small nicks to top corners of front and rear panels. Overall, an attractive copy. In The Ballad of Peckham Rye, Dougal Douglas, a Scottish migrant who may or may not be the devil himself, takes up residence in Peckham and is hired by a textile company to conduct "human research" into the lives of the area's citizens. His meddling into their affairs creates mayhem throughout the neighborhood, culminating in a groom saying "No" at the altar. The Ballad of Peckham Rye… Read More

Saint Paul: Graywolf Press, 1985 Introduction by Ralph Ellison. First edition, first printing. Presentation copy, inscribed by Ellison on the title page: "For Harold F. Mays / That admirable book-sleuth with / pleasure / Sincerely / Ralph Ellison." Additionally signed by Charles Wright on p. 310. Publisher's green cloth-backed black boards stamped in gilt, black endpapers; original black dust jacket designed by Tree Swenson, lettered in green and yellow, photo of writing pad taken by Paul Boyer to front panel. Fine book; fine unclipped dust jacket. Includes near fine typed promotional letter, with horizontal folding crease, light creasing, and a hint of toning to edges. Overall, a pristine signed copy with a very nice association. Buying Time celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Literature Program of the National Endowment for the Arts. It brings together works from twenty-five well-known writers who benefited from fellowships and awards and were given, according to the book's… Read More

New York: Charles Scriber's Sons, 1911 First edition, first issue text with "wearily" unbattered on p. 135. One of 6,000 copies. Publisher's red cloth, lettered in gilt, top edge gilt. About near fine, with some light wear to the extremities, faint soiling to the front board, slight lean to the spine, former owner name erased from front free endpaper, otherwise clean interior. Overall, a bright and attractive copy. Garrison A19.I.a. Ethan Frome is a Pulitzer Prize winning novel set in the fictional town of Starkfield, Massachusetts. It tells the story of Ethan Frome, a young man with a sickly wife, Zeena, who has fallen in love with his wife's cousin, Mattie, who lives with the Fromes to assist with Zeena's healthcare. Zeena, aware of her husband's wandering eye, is determined to send Mattie away, and Ethan is desperate to express his feelings. In a bizarre twist of events, Mattie and Ethan paralyze themselves in an attempt to commit suicide, and Zeena becomes their… Read More

Edinburgh: William Blackwood and Sons, 1866 Three volumes. First edition, in Carter's "A" binding, with 4 pages of publisher advertisements and no catalog at the rear of Volume III. Publisher's cinnamon cloth, decorative borders stamped in blind to the boards, spines lettered in gilt. Near fine set with some toning to spines, tiny spot of soiling to fore edge of Volume I text block, light spotting to fore edge of Volume II text block, bookseller's stamp to rear pastedowns, and some blackening to top edges of text blocks. Overall, an excellent, unsophisticated set with crisp pages. Housed in a custom brick-red slip case. Felix Holt, the Radical is a social novel by Mary Anne Evans, a top writer of the Victorian Era who chose to write under a male pseudonym so that her works would be taken more seriously. In addition to writing novels, she edited and contributed to the left-wing journal The Westminster Review as one of the only female editors of her time. Her novels were praised… Read More

New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1915 First edition, first printing. A near fine copy with only some minor wear to the lower edge; in an excellent example of the rare dust jacket with some mild wear, a tiny chip to the upper edge of the front panel, else near fine. An excellent copy in the exceptionally scarce dust jacket. Edith Wharton was living in France when the Great War broke out in August 1914. Wharton met with soldiers and described their first-hand accounts of the devastation the War had upon the villages along the Western Front. Wharton's reverence for France and advocation for American intervention in the War is apparent in her writing. Her essays on WWI, written as a travelogue, were published as articles in Scribner's Magazine and The Saturday Evening Post, and were subsequently published here as Fighting France in 1915.. First Edition. Hard Cover. Near Fine/Dust Jacket Included.

London: The Hogarth Press, 1933 With four Original Drawings by Vanessa Bell and six other Illustrations. First edition, first printing, with "Large Paper Edition" printed on the dust jacket. Demy 8vo. Publisher's pale buff cloth, with spine lettered in gilt; in its original cream dust jacket with illustration of dog to front panel. Very good book, with light soiling to cloth, and some soiling to verso of final page (p. 163) and rear front free endpaper; near fine unclipped dust jacket, with light toning to spine and panel edges, light wear to spine ends, and a couple of small closed tears to rear panel. Overall, a very pleasing copy. Kirkpatrick A19a. Woolmer 334. Flush is the fictional biography of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's cocker spaniel. While reading Elizabeth Barrett's love letters with Robert Browning, Woolf was inspired by the descriptions of the cocker spaniel, Flush, who kept the poet company while she was ill and was ever-present throughout the development of… Read More

London: Colburn and Bentley, 1831 Two volumes: No. IX with Frankenstein (complete) and Ghost Seer (Vol. 1); No. X with Ghost Seer (Vol. 2) and Edgar Huntley (complete). Illustrated by Theodor von Holst and engraved by William Chevalier. First illustrated edition, first printing, third edition overall. Publisher's brown boards, black labels with gilt lettering to spines, Frankenstein and The Ghost Seer with frontispiece and title page illustrations, cream endpapers. Very good unsophisticated set with minor rubbing and soiling to exterior, toning to spines and edges, a bit of cloth separation to rear hinges of both volumes, some spotting and offsetting to frontispiece and title page, light foxing to a few pages, some loss to spine labels on No. IX (bottom label is missing the "S" in "Standard" and the top label is split vertically down the center and missing a few letters), No. IX's spine with a slight lean, bookseller's ticket to center of No. IX's front board,… Read More

New York: Charles Scribner's Sons,, 1907 First edition; special issue bound for the author lacking the illustrations. Presentation copy, inscribed by Wharton on front free endpaper: "To E. L. W. / from E. W. / [flourish] / October 1907." and additionally inscribed by author on front pastedown: "One of 12 copies bound / for author without illustrations / [flourish]"; below that is a former owner's signature of Harriet Johnson. Publisher's red cloth with gilt titles (binding B, no priority); as it lacks the illustrations, it also lacks the List of Illustrations leaf and the title page appears in six lines instead of seven, omitting "With Illustrations by Alonzo Kimball". A good copy, with corners and edges of spine worn and frayed, spine faded and with a light stain, some light spotting to cloth (mostly on lower cover), bottom edges and text block worn, both inner hinges cracked but holding, front hinge appears to have been fixed with a tiny bit of glue,… Read More

New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1907 First edition. Publisher's red cloth with gilt titles (binding B, no priority). Book with just a touch of rubbing to spine ends, top edge a bit dusty, else fine. A stunning copy with bright gilt. Garrison A14.I.a.I. Edith Wharton's tremendous writing skills are on full display in this novel, as she weaves stunning psychological narratives into her skillful social portraiture. The Fruit of the Tree tells the story of John Amherst, the owner of a textile mill in New England, and his wife Bessy. Moral dilemmas abound, as John aims to better the labor conditions for his workers, and likewise care for his wife and young daughter. The most memorable plot twist concerns Justine Brent, a volunteer nurse at the local hospital who begins work as a live-in tutor with the Amhersts. The Fruit of the Tree is Wharton's third novel, and was likely completed while she lived at The Mount, her estate in Lenox, Massachusetts which she designed herself.. First… Read More

Boston: Dana Estes & Company, 1907 Illustrated by Frank T. Merrill. First edition. Publisher's light blue cloth and blue-gray paper-covered boards, designed by Amy Richards (author's daughter, unsigned binding) with Madonna lilies stamped in dark blue to upper cover and spine, title and author stamped in gilt, top edge gilt, rough cut edges, with frontispiece and three full-page black and white illustrations by Merrill; in original dust jacket designed to match the binding, tan jacket stamped in dark blue. Near fine book with light toning to edges of boards, very light rubbing to bottom corner of upper cover, former owner gift inscription to front pastedown; in a good jacket, missing the lower half of the spine, with chipping to head of spine, a few chips to corners and edge of front panel, vertical stain to front panel, some creasing. Overall, a nice example of the exceptionally scarce dust jacket, designed by one of the top book artists of the time period, who is also the daughter of the… Read More

New York and London: Harper & Brothers, 1923 First edition, second printing, with L-X code (December 1923) to copyright page, and publisher's name to foot of spine. Presentation copy, signed and inscribed by Millay on front free endpaper: "For / Marjorie Rush / Very sincerely, / Edna St. Vincent Millay [underlined] / Rochester / Feb. 14 / 1924." Publisher's black cloth, with front board and spine lettered in gilt, lacking dust jacket. Fine book. Overall, a fresh example, with bright gilt. Housed in a custom blue half morocco slipcase with folding chemise. Yost 19. The Harp-Weaver and Other Poems is a collection of sixty-eight of Millay's poems, many of which were previously unpublished in book form. Specifically, this volume includes "My Heart, Being Hungry," "The Ballad of the Harp-Weaver," "Memory of Cape Cod," and "A Visit to the Asylum," in addition to nearly forty untitled sonnets. Notably, the "The Ballad of the… Read More

New York: Scholastic Press, 1999 Illustrated by Mary GrandPré. First American edition, first printing, lacking the "Year 2" statement that was added to the spine in later printings, in a first state dust jacket, which also lacks the "Year 2" statement and is priced at $17.95. Publisher's quarter green cloth and purple paper-covered boards with repeating diamond pattern, lettered in silver to spine; in the original pictorial dust jacket with GrandPré's illustration. Near fine book with light spotting to text block edges, and just a touch of fading to bottom edge; near fine unclipped dust jacket with a bit of creasing to head of spine, and light tidemarks to verso of jacket at the bottom. A bright and attractive copy of the second book in the celebrated Harry Potter series, in its earliest dust jacket. Errington A2(c). The second volume of the Harry Potter series, this novel follows Harry and his friends during their second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft… Read More

New York: Scholastic Press, 1999 Illustrated by Mary GrandPré. First American edition, first printing. Publisher's quarter purple cloth and teal paper-covered boards stamped in a repeating diamond pattern, lettered in metallic green to spine; in the original pictorial dust jacket designed by GrandPré with her illustration of Harry and Hermione riding Buckbeak to front board, decoratively lettered in metallic green. Head of spine very gently bumped, and light spotting to text block edges, else fine book; fine unclipped dust jacket with matching bump to head of spine. Overall, a stunning copy of the third book in the Harry Potter series. Errington A7(b). A pivotal novel in the series, The Prisoner of Azkaban was published before the series reached the level of popularity and cult following that it has today, but still managed to reach critical acclaim. In his third year at Hogwarts, Harry Potter and his friends search for the villainous outlaw Sirius Black after his escape from the… Read More

New York: Scholastic Press, 1999 Illustrated by Mary GrandPré. First American edition, first printing, lacking the "Year 2" statement that was added to the spine in later printings, in a first state dust jacket, which also lacks the "Year 2" statement and is priced at $17.95. Publisher's quarter green cloth and purple paper-covered boards with repeating diamond pattern, lettered in silver to spine; in the original pictorial dust jacket with GrandPré's illustration. Very good book with some soiling to exterior, small dent to top of front board, crease to bottom corner of front board, gentle lean to spine, and a bit of soiling to top edge; near fine unclipped dust jacket with just a touch of creasing to head of spine and bumping to corners. A true first printing of the second book in the Harry Potter series, in a jacket without any nicks or tears. Errington A2(c). The second volume of the Harry Potter series, this novel follows Harry and his friends during… Read More

New York: Scholastic Press, 1998 Illustrated by Mary GrandPré. First American edition, first printing, in a first state dust jacket: spine lacking Year 1, dust jacket priced at $16.95 and with review from The Guardian on the rear panel. Publisher's red cloth and purple boards with diamond pattern in blind, lettered in gilt; in the original pictorial dust jacket designed by GrandPré, with an illustration of Harry catching the Snitch to the front panel, illustration of Dumbledore and Hedwig to the rear panel, lettered in gilt. Near fine book with touch of wear to bottom edges of boards, previous owner's signature to front free endpaper, and a bit of soiling to rear endpapers; in a near fine unclipped dust jacket with a small nick to upper corner of front panel, and light creasing to top of front panel and spine ends. Overall, a true first printing (which is becoming exceedingly rare in collectible condition) that presents beautifully. Errington A4(a). First published by… Read More

New York: Scribner's, 1908 First edition, first state on laid paper. Publisher's red cloth with gilt titles. Fine, without any interior markings, spine just a trifle faded, with bright gilt to cloth and top edge. An absolutely beautiful copy. Garrison A15.I.a. Edith Wharton's fourth collection of short stories, The Hermit and the Wild Woman, features seven stories, each of which gives a lesson in morality. One of her earlier works, this collection showcases Wharton's burgeoning ability to write vastly different protagonists from story to story: the protagonists vary from a cloistered monk to a struggling artist.. First Edition. Hard Cover. Fine.

Amsterdam: Uitgeverij Contact, 1947 Second edition (issued December 1947, six months after the first). Publisher's blue-gray and red paper-covered boards; in the original dust jacket, title in white script to front panel and spine, "Anne Frank" in blue, multi-toned gray background. A very good copy, some light spotting to text block edges and endpapers, light sunning to extremities, contemporary inscription to front free endpaper; in a very good dust jacket with early reinforcement (jacket almost imperceptibly adhered onto paper, with wear and chipping uniformly to jacket and paper backing), wear and a few short closed tears to extremities, some chipping to spine ends. Overall, a sturdy copy of this scarce second edition in its original dust jacket. In 1942, Otto Frank and his family went into hiding in a secret attic in a factory building in Amsterdam. His youngest daughter Anne passed her time writing, filling a diary and several notebooks with her innermost feelings, reflections of… Read More

Amsterdam: Uitgeverij Contact, 1947 First edition (published June 25th, 1947). Publisher's white and red paper-covered boards; in the original dust jacket, title in white script to front panel and spine, "Anne Frank" in yellow, multi-toned gray background. A very good copy, some toning to boards and page edges, front hinge was cracked and very neatly repaired, contemporary ownership signature and bookplate to front free endpaper; in a good dust jacket, worn and with chipping to extremities, very careful and minimal repair with tissue to verso at spine and a triangular chip over the "R" in "Frank" to front panel, splitting to spine and folds, very fragile but still intact, now just very minimally reinforced for stability, no repair or restoration otherwise. Overall, the very scarce first edition in its proper first issue dust jacket with the yellow lettering. In 1942, Otto Frank and his family went into hiding in a secret attic in a factory building in Amsterdam. His… Read More

Amsterdam: Uitgeverij Contact, 1948 Fourth edition. Publisher's blue-gray and red paper-covered boards; lacking the dust jacket. A very good copy, some toning to extremities, lean to spine, some splitting at spine joints, reinforcement to rear hinge, small bookseller's sticker to front free endpaper, clean interior. A clean and attractive example of a fragile binding. Frank, Anne. Het Achterhuis, Dagboekbrieven van 14 Juni 1942 - 1 Augustus 1944. Amsterdam: Uitgeverij Contact, 1949. Fifth edition. Publisher's blue cloth lettered in gilt to front board and spine; lacking the dust jacket. A very good or better copy with some light soiling to boards, rubbing to extremities, lean to spine, offsetting to endpapers, ownership signature to front free endpaper and small bookseller's sticker to front pastedown. Overall, a sturdy and attractive copy. Frank, Anne. Het Achterhuis, Dagboekbrieven van 14 Juni 1942 - 1 Augustus 1944. Amsterdam: Uitgeverij Contact, [1949]. Sixth edition.… Read More