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  • "When you have caught the rhythm of Africa, you find out that it is the same in all her music": First edition of Karen Blixen's Out of Africa

    DINESEN, ISAK. [KAREN BLIXEN].

    Out of Africa.

    New York: Random House 1938.

    First edition of the author’s classic memoir, which recounts events of the seventeen years when Blixen made her home in Kenya. Octavo, original half cloth. Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. A very sharp example.

    Price: $1,250.00     Item Number: 145920

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  • Winter's Tales; Signed by Karen Blixen

    DINESEN, ISAK [KAREN BLIXEN].

    Winter’s Tales.

    London: Putnam & Co 1949.

    Later printing of this collection of stories by the author of Out of Africa. Octavo, original cloth. Signed by the author on the front free endpaper, “Karen Blixen 24.9.1956 Rungstedlund Je responderai.” While in Africa, Blixen took as her motto “Je Responderai,” “I will answer,” from the family crest of her lover, Denys Finch-Hatton. She explained: “I liked this old motto so much that I asked Denys, an earlier pioneer in African than myself – although all we settlers who had come out before the war looked upon ourselves as one family, a kind of Mayflower people – if I might have it for my own. He generously made me a present of it and even had a seal cut for me, with the words carved on it. The device was meaningful and dear to me for many reasons, two in particular. The first of these was its high valuation of the idea of the answer in itself. For an answer is a rarer thing than is generally imagined. There are many highly intelligent people who have no answer at all in them. A conversation or a correspondence with such persons is nothing but a double monologue – you may stroke them or you may strike them, you will get no more echo from them than from a block of wood. And how, then, can you yourself go on speaking?” Very good in a very good dust jacket, with a note regarding the motto “je responderai” paper clipped to the dust jacket. Jacket design by Robin Darwin. Uncommon signed.

    Price: $1,750.00     Item Number: 145954

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  • First Edition of Last Tales; Signed by Isak Dinesen

    DINESEN, ISAK [KAREN BLIXEN].

    Last Tales.

    New York: Random House 1957.

    First edition of this classic collection of short stories. Octavo, original cloth. Boldly signed by the author on the half-title page, “Isak Dinesen Je Responderai.” While in Africa, Blixen took as her motto “Je Responderai,” “I will answer,” from the family crest of her lover, Denys Finch-Hatton. She explained: “I liked this old motto so much that I asked Denys, an earlier pioneer in African than myself – although all we settlers who had come out before the war looked upon ourselves as one family, a kind of Mayflower people – if I might have it for my own. He generously made me a present of it and even had a seal cut for me, with the words carved on it. The device was meaningful and dear to me for many reasons, two in particular. The first of these was its high valuation of the idea of the answer in itself. For an answer is a rarer thing than is generally imagined. There are many highly intelligent people who have no answer at all in them. A conversation or a correspondence with such persons is nothing but a double monologue – you may stroke them or you may strike them, you will get no more echo from them than from a block of wood. And how, then, can you yourself go on speaking?” Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Jacket design by Jeanyee Wong. Rare and desirable signed.

    Price: $3,500.00     Item Number: 145946

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  • “I turned to the animal world from the world of men; my heart was heavy with the tragedy of the night": First Modern Library Edition of Out of Africa; Signed by Isak Dinesen and Bernadine Kielty

    DINESEN, ISAK [KAREN BLIXEN] .

    Out of Africa.

    New York: The Modern Library 1952.

    First Modern Library edition of the author’s masterpiece. Octavo, original cloth, patterned endpapers. Boldly signed on the dedication page by Karen Blixen and Bernadine Kielty, who contributed the introduction. Introduction by Bernadine Kielty. From the library of Bruce and Beatrice Gould. Bruce Gould and Beatrice Blackmar Gould were co-editors of the Ladies’ Home Journal for almost 27 years, from 1935 through 1962, including the golden years of the magazine. Time magazine wrote upon their 1962 retirement, the Goulds took an undistinguished journal in a field that “took the patronizing view that a woman’s interests were largely confined to the home” and led by “Beatrice’s sure feeling for the emancipated women’s tastes, it invited its readers to plunge up to the elbows not only in bread dough but in life.” The magazine pushed for “purity in politics as well as in maternity wards” and fought against venereal disease and child abuse. Attention-getting articles and addressing feminine health problems openly were published, as well as top fiction pieces.” Near fine in a very good dust jacket, with Bruce Gould’s signature on the dedication page. Rare and desirable signed and with noted provenance.

    Price: $4,800.00     Item Number: 144981

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  • First Edition of Anecdotes of Destiny; Signed by Isak Dinesen

    DINESEN, ISAK [KAREN BLIXEN].

    Anecdotes of Destiny.

    New York: Random House 1958.

    First edition of this classic collection of stories and the last to be published in her lifetime. Octavo, original cloth. Boldly signed by Isak Dinesen on the half-title page, while on her only trip to the United States. In 1959, Dinesen had been invited by the Ford Foundation to travel to the United States to read and discuss her work as part of a film series on “the world’s greatest living writers.” Despite her failing health—the frail seventy-four-year old weighed just 80 pounds she accepted the invitation.  From the library of Bruce and Beatrice Gould. Bruce Gould and Beatrice Blackmar Gould were co-editors of the Ladies’ Home Journal for almost 27 years, from 1935 through 1962, including the golden years of the magazine. Time magazine wrote upon their 1962 retirement, the Goulds took an undistinguished journal in a field that “took the patronizing view that a woman’s interests were largely confined to the home” and led by “Beatrice’s sure feeling for the emancipated women’s tastes, it invited its readers to plunge up to the elbows not only in bread dough but in life.” The magazine pushed for “purity in politics as well as in maternity wards” and fought against venereal disease and child abuse. Attention-getting articles and addressing feminine health problems openly were published, as well as top fiction pieces.” Near fine in a near fine dust jacket.

    Price: $2,000.00     Item Number: 144976

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  • First British Edition of Isak Dinesen's Out of Africa; King Edward VIII's Copy with his ownership inscription

    DINESEN, ISAK [KAREN BLIXEN] [KING EDWARD VIII].

    Out of Africa.

    London: Putnam 1937.

    First British edition of the author’s masterpiece, a lyrical meditation of the years she lived in Kenya, from the library of King Edward VIII. Octavo, original cloth. With numerous original photographs and newspaper clippings affixed to the front few pages. Originally from the collection of the author’s brother Thomas Fasti Dinesen with two original black and white photographs of him hunting affixed to the verso of the front free endpaper and half-title page above which he has annotated, “My first lion April 6th 1922” and “Shot from boma April 11th 1922 The boma only five feet from the hill on account of my alias Thomas Dinesen.” In 1918, Thomas Dinesen moved to British East Africa to help his sister manage her coffee farm in the Ngong hills southwest of Nairobi where he designed a largely built the farm’s coffee roasting plant. Subsequently, from the library of Edward VIII with his ownership inscription to the front free endpaper, “‘The son of the sultan’ Edward Duke of Windsor.” Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire, and Emperor of India, from January 1936 until his abdication in December of the same year, after which he became the Duke of Windsor. And finally, inscribed on the title page, “To Hubert Gough with best wishes from Maj ‘one’ Sotheby March.” The recipient, Sir Hubert de la Poer Gough was a senior officer in the British Army in the First World War. Also affixed throughout are numerous clippings related to the Duke of Windsor and Blixen including a clipping with a photograph of her with Marilyn Monroe and original black and white photographs of her in 1921, later in life, and views of the plantation farmers and Ngong Hills. In very good condition. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. A unique example.

    Price: $14,000.00     Item Number: 110991

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  • First Edition of Isak Dinesen's Out of Africa; Finely Bound the Harcourt Bindery

    DINESEN, ISAK [KAREN BLIXEN] .

    Out of Africa.

    New York: Random House 1938.

    First American edition of the author’s masterpiece, a lyrical meditation of the years she lived in Kenya. Octavo, bound in full morocco by the Harcourt bindery with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in four compartments within raised gilt bands, gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, gilt inner dentelles stamp-signed by the Harcourt Bindery, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. In fine condition. An exceptional presentation.

    Price: $1,400.00     Item Number: 142171

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  • “I turned to the animal world from the world of men; my heart was heavy with the tragedy of the night": First Edition of Isak Dinesen's Out of Africa; Finely Bound the Harcourt Bindery

    DINESEN, ISAK [KAREN BLIXEN] .

    Out of Africa.

    New York: Random House 1938.

    First American edition of the author’s masterpiece, a lyrical meditation of the years she lived in Kenya. Octavo, bound in full morocco by the Harcourt Bindery, gilt titles and ruling to the spine, raised bands, gilt ruled to the front and rear panels, inner dentelles, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. In fine condition. An exceptional presentation.

    Price: $1,600.00     Item Number: 141302

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