A rare first edition copy of Herman Melville's Moby Dick is the highlight of Swann Auction Galleries' 19th and 20th Century Literature sale on November 21, featuring an estimate of $35,000-50,000.
 The book is one of around 60 copies that survived a fire in 1853 |
Melville's masterpiece was not initially recognised as such, and was almost universally panned by critics.
In 1853 a fire at Harpers - the book's publisher - destroyed all but around 60 copies, making the edition extremely rare. This example is one of only two known that feature white endpapers, further enhancing its desirability.
A signed first edition of John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath is also featured with an estimate of $18,000-25,000. It is inscribed: "For Jules and Joyce and also Joan with love John Steinbeck".
 The Grapes of Wrath was first published in 1939 |
It features the rare flying pig illustration that Steinbeck reserved for close friends. Jules Buck was a movie producer with whom Steinbeck worked on a screenplay that became Eli Kazan's Viva Zapata.
The dust jacket is in excellent condition with virtually no rubbing or wear, and features the original price of $2.75.
William Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury is offered as a first edition, with the original cloth-backed patterned boards and dust jacket. A masterpiece of modernism, the book relates the story of the Compson family - formerly wealthy southern aristocrats who have fallen on hard times.
The edition has been expertly repaired on areas of the spine, panel and folds and features a small split to the lower front hinge. It is expected to bring $15,000-20,000.
You can view our selection of books and manuscripts here.
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