Inscribed first edition thus, collecting THE BIG SLEEP and FAREWELL, MY LOVELY.
Very good in very good jacket.
Price: $6,000.00
This wartime edition is also the first printed collection of any of his novels. THE BIG SLEEP (1939) and FAREWELL, MY LOVELY (1940) were Chandler's first two novels, introducing stoic noir detective Philip Marlowe. Chandler is a master prose stylist, subtly building atmosphere with deceptively simple prose. (In a 1948 letter, Chandler described his goal as "the creation of emotion through dialogue and description" [May 7, to Frederick Lewis Allen].) Printed under wartime restrictions, copies of this book do not often survive intact with the original dust jacket. An especially desirable copy with Chandler's warm inscription.
Read more: Bruccoli, Raymond Chandler: A Checklist, I-5a.
Cleveland and New York: World Publishing Company, (1944). 8'' x 5.5''. Original navy cloth stamped in light blue. In original unclipped (0100) color pictorial dust jacket with design by Leo Manso. 203, [1] pages. Inscribed by Chandler in black ink to front free endpaper: "To Dick Housman [?] / with my love / Ray Chandler / March 12 - 1945." Jacket with multiple brown tape repairs to verso, moderate edgewear. Book a bit shaken, with light shelfwear, leaves deeply toned (as usual). Housed in custom quarter goatskin clamshell box.
We work hard to meet our ethical responsibility to describe our material accurately. All items are guaranteed as described and may be returned for any reason within 30 days. Please notify us before mailing a return.
We guarantee the authenticity of our items. All materials are original (meaning not facsimiles or reproductions) unless otherwise noted. First editions (meaning first edition, first printing) are explicitly stated. TPM is a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America and upholds their Code of Ethics.
All photographs are of the actual item for sale. We're happy to provide additional images on request.
All domestic orders ship gratis. For orders under $250, free USPS media mail shipping is included; orders $250 and over ship USPS Ground Advantage. International orders over $1000 also ship gratis. Expedited, overnight, as well as other carriers (UPS, Fed-Ex, etc.), may carry additional costs beyond quoted rates. All orders receive tracking information and a direct contact in case of any questions.
International buyers are responsible for any customs, taxes, and related import fees. Please note that we are unable to accomodate requests to misrepresent, misdeclare, or otherwise falsify customs documents when shipping internationally. We appreciate your understanding.
We accept all major credit cards, Paypal, Venmo, check, money order, and bank wire. We are happy to bill institutional buyers' needs. Sales tax will be added to applicable purchases. Items subject to prior sale.
If for any reason you are dissatisfied with your purchase, please contact us. We prioritize our long-term relationships far above any individual purchase, and we want you to love your item as much as we loved cataloguing it.
Type Punch Matrix is a Washington D.C.-area rare book firm founded by Rebecca Romney and Brian Cassidy.
Read more about TPM.
