James and the Giant Peach.

by DAHL, Roald.

$17,126 · Offered by Biblio

First edition

New York: Alfred A. Knopf,, 1961. A family presentation copy First edition, with the five-line colophon, presentation copy inscribed by the author to a niece and two nephews on the front free endpaper in blue, "For Willy, Baba, & Peter, with love from Roald. Oct. 1961". This is the earliest dated inscription of the book we have traced. This copy also includes a later and poignant crossing out of the name of Olivia from the printed dedication. Olivia Dahl was the author's eldest child who died in the November of the following year. "One is tempted to say that not since Alice has there been such a wonderland. The difference is that James is all boy and what transpires in the story is anything but Victorian" (New York Times). Quarto. Colour frontispiece, 4 colour plates and illustrations in text by Nancy Ekholm Burkert. Original red cloth, spine lettered in gilt, front cover with design in blind, rear cover with publisher's device in blind, green endpapers, top edge yellow. With supplied dust jacket. Child's ownership name of Andersen to front free endpaper. Spine a little skewed, cloth rubbed and slightly marked, lower corners bumped, occasional finger-soiling and other marks including ink smudge to margin of p. 39; spine of unclipped jacket a little sunned with wear to head and foot: a very good copy in like jacket. New York Times, 26 October 1961.

• Year: 1961
• Edition: First Edition
• Binding: hardcover

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