Nabokov, Vladimir

A Russian Beauty and Other Stories

ISBN: 0070457352
New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1973. First Edition. Hardcover. "The Russian originals of the thirteen English stories selected for the present collection were composed in western Europe between 1924 and 1940, and appeared one by one in various émigré periodicals and editions...most of these thirteen pieces were translated by Dmitri Nabokov in collaboration with the author. All are given here in a final English form, for which I alone am responsible. Professor Simon Karlinsky is the translator of the first story." (from Foreword) The title story & twelve others by Vladimir Nabokov (1899-1977), the canonical Russian-American writer whose exquisitely intricate works are being enshrined in the Library of America series. The title story is translated from the Russian by the acclaimed scholar Simon Karlinsky (1924-2009); the rest by Dmitri Nabokov (1934-2012), Vladimir's son (& sole offspring) who was both an accomplished opera singer & translator of his father's works. Hardcover in unclipped first-issue dust jacket (with $7.95 price printed at front flap, length very slightly less than book), first edition as stated on copyright page, first printing as indicated by number sequence thereon. A classic compilation of classic early Nabokov stories, in its rarest original gathered & translated form. Book in relatively very fine condition with only slight rubbing, some faint spotting to black-cloth front, back covers & spine (silver gilt letters & logo at spine completely bright & intact); a bit of wear, fading to esp. upper edges & corners of same; light browning, rubbing & spotting to side & lower edges of text block (the former untrimmed as issued); moderate fading, light spotting & sparse scratching to red-dyed upper edge of same. Interior very fine with only very slight fading, rubbing to blank grey paste-downs & endpapers; miniscule bleeding of spots noted above onto side-edges of some page leaves. Dust jacket very fine with only very slight rubbing, browning to front, back covers, spine & esp. flaps; a bit of wear & some tiny bumps, creases at edges & corners of same. Very Fine / Very Fine. [Item #5650]

Price: $90.00