LOLITA by Nabokoff, Vladimir - 1955

Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill, 1938. First U.S. edition. The first book of Nabokov's to appear in the U.S., and the first publication of his own translation. Original orange cloth. Slight spine lean, else fine. Juliar A14.2, binding variant b.

Bobbs Merrill Company, 1938. first printing of the first American edition; 292 pp., original green cloth (hardcover), fine in a good dust jacket; the jacket is edge-rubbed and has two pieces of clear tape to the top and bottom inside & outside surfaces of the spine panel. - If you are reading this, this item is actually (physically) in our stock and ready for shipment once ordered. We are not bookjackers. Buyer is responsible for any additional duties, taxes, or fees required by recipient's country. Photos available upon request.

Berlin: Ullstein, 1930 First German edition. Publisher's light beige cloth, lettered in red and black. About very good, with some toning to the front board and spine, some light soiling to the boards, spine very lightly cracked inside the front cover, lacking the front free endpaper, front flyleaf with a closed tear to the top half of the margin, some light spotting to the front flyleaf and title page, otherwise bright and clean pages. König, Dame, Bube (King, Queen, Knave) is the German edition of Nabokov's second novel, which was first published in Russian in 1928 under the title Korol, Dama, Valet. Nabokov wrote this novel while living as an émigré in Berlin, and, like many of his earliest works, it was published under his pseudonym V. Sirin, after the mythological Russian bird. Specifically, König, Dame, Bube tells the story of a young German man named Franz who moves to Berlin to work for his wealthy uncle, only to become involved in a love affair with his aunt.… Read More

Indianapolis: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, 1938. Hardcover. Fine/Dust Jacket Included. Indianapolis, The Bobbs-Merrill Company, 1938 (first thus). Octavo, 292 pages. Orange cloth lettered and decorated in black on the spine; tiny bump to the front top and rear bottom edge of the boards; leading edge uncut; endpapers a little offset; essentially a fine copy with the unclipped dustwrapper a little worn, with slight loss to the ends of the spine. Three variant bindings exist - green, orange and brown - apparently in that order of issue. The author's first book to be published in the USA; 'A different version of this novel has been published in England under the title "Camera Obscura" (verso of the title page). The story behind this turn of events is intriguing. 'At the age of thirty-one, living as a penniless exile in Berlin, Vladimir Nabokov composed, in Russian, a novel called "Camera Obscura," which he published serially in an émigré journal in 1930. Five years later, the book was translated into… Read More

Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill Company, (1938). First U.S. edition in first-issue green cloth. Translated from the Russian by Nabokov, who disliked the translation by Winifred Roy for the 1936 UK edition (published under the title CAMERA OBSCURA). Very good with touch of fading to edges, pp.267-270 roughly opened, and old sticker shadow and minor loss to upper rear pastedown; in attractive dust jacket professionally repaired on edges and folds. From the collection of sports writer Paul "Dr. Z" Zimmerman with his penciled notations about the text on rear endpaper.

Indianapolis:: Bobbs-Merrill,, [1938].. First edition.. publisher's rough green cloth in dust jacket.. A very good copy (spine slightly darkened) in a nice jacket with some light wear to the extremities of the spine and the front fore-edge. Three leaves (front free endpaper, half-title, and title page) show very faint traces of pencil erasures. . 8vo,.

Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill, 1938. First American Edition; first binding. A little cloth wear; very good in a dust jacket with very moderate rubbing and soiling.

Indianapolis and New York: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, 1938. First Edition. Near Fine/Near Fine. First American edition, first printing in publisher's original second state brown cloth binding. Light bumping to edges of covers, and pages toned, else Fine, in a Near Fine unclipped dust jacket with the affects of unnecessary tape repairs made to the verso.

John Long, London., 1937. First English edition. The U.S. edition didn't appear for another 29 years. Translated by the author. Octavo. 287 pages. 24-page publisher's catalogue at rear.Edges faintly spotted. Slightly rubbing to head and tail of spine. Very good. No dustwrapper.

IN: Bobbs-Merrill, 1938. Dustwrapper shows a bit of light vertical scuffing to front panel and the lightest edgewear. The book, bound in tan cloth and stamped in dark blue is tight and clean. The dustwrapper (which is cream-colored, printed in gold, kelly green and black) is stunning. The scarce first edition of the author's first book. Becoming difficult to find in this protected condition. . First Edition. Hard Cover. Near Fine/Near Fine.