Today is the 85th birthday of legendary author Gabriel García Márquez. The Nobel laureate began his writing career as a journalist but established himself as one of the most important authors of the twentieth century. Here’s a look at a few facts you probably didn’t know about Gabriel García Márquez.
- His mother and father’s courtship inspired Love in the Time of Cholera. His father wooed his mother ardently—over the objections of her father, who eventually relented and gave the couple his blessing.
- García Márquez’s grandfather was a Liberal, a war hero, and an incredible storyteller. He would tell young Gabriel stories of civil war, political upheaval, and revolution rather than fairy tales.
- Meanwhile, his grandmother filled his head with stories of magic, omens, and superstitions. It was in her stories that García Márquez found the roots of magical realism.
- García Márquez began his education in law at the University of Cartagena. He soon began writing for the local newspaper and eventually left his studies to pursue journalism.
- García Márquez sparked national furor with his 1955 The Story of the Shipwrecked Sailor, which upended the government’s official story that a storm had caused a tragic shipwreck. The story first appeared in installments in El Espectador, but was published as a book in 1970.
- It took seven years for García Márquez to find a publisher for his first book, Leaf Storm. He has said that this is his favorite of his novels because it’s the most spontaneous and sincere.
- To support his family during the composition of One Hundred Years of Solitude, García Márquez sold his car. But the novel took much longer than expected, so the family lived on credit and owed the landlord nine months’ rent by the time the book was finished.
- García Márquez calls Autumn of the Patriarch a “poem on the solitude of power.” He was moved to write it after watching Venezuelan dictator Marcos Pérez Jiménez—the first dictator in Latin America to fall.
- Though he resolved not to publish again until after Pinochet lost power in Chile, García Márquez finally published Chronicle of a Death Foretold before Pinochet was ousted because he “could not remain silent in the face of injustice and oppression.”
García Márquez will undoubtedly continue to influence and inspire people in all walks of life, all over the world.
March 6th, 2012
This month Tom Cruise has been making headlines as Ethan Hunt in the latest “Mission Impossible” movie. But before “Mission Impossible,” another famous spy arrested our imagination: James Bond. The dashing and debonair 007 was the creation of Ian Fleming, who has earned a reputation as a legendary author.
Inspiration in Action
Fleming got his start as a journalist, but later entered the British Royal Navy as an intelligence officer. It was here that he gained experience in the world of espionage. Fleming’s first appointment was as a personal assistant to Rear Admiral John Godfrey, who was the Director of Naval Intelligence. Though Fleming had no real qualifications for the position, it proved an excellent fit, and he quickly grew into the role.
Fleming later worked with Godfrey, Colonel “Wild Bill” Donovan, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt to coordinate information among various intelligence agencies, including the US agency that eventually evolved into the CIA. That experience prepared Fleming for Operation Golden Eye, an endeavor to secure an intelligence framework in Spain if the country were taken over by Germany.
Transition to Authorship
Before Fleming ever had aspirations of authorship, he was an unabashed bibliophile who began building an extensive personal library in 1929. Fleming concentrated heavily on books about science and technology, though he also collected other “books that made things happen.” His wide reading is often evident in his own work.
In 1942, Fleming visited Jamaica and determined that he’d build a home there after World War II ended. Three years later, Fleming named his estate Goldeneye, not only after his own eponymous military operation, but also after Carson McCullers’ Reflections in a Golden Eye. He didn’t set about writing his own novel until 1952.
- The manuscript for Fleming’s first novel, Casino Royale, took Fleming only a few months to write. He was reluctant to share the novel because, as he told close friend William Plomer, “the element suspense is completely absent.”
- Fleming himself designed the original cover art for Casino Royale, and the book sold out in the UK in less than a month. Subsequent printings remained equally popular.
- The real James Bond was a British ornithologist who authored Birds of the West Indies. The book attained world fame as Fleming, a birdwatcher himself, chose the name of its author for the spy hero of Casino Royale, as he was looking for a name as “ordinary as possible.” A reference to this connection pops up in the 2002 adaptation of “Die Another Day,” which stars Pierce Brosnan and Halle Berry (watcha clip here).
- Fleming’s brother Peter provided significant inspiration for James Bond’s character. Peter served as an intelligence officer behind the lines in Norway and Greece.
- From 1953 to 1964, Fleming wrote a new Bond novel every year during his annual holiday in Jamaica. By 1966, twelve novels and two short-story collections had been published. The last two (Man with the Golden Gun and Octopussy and the Living Daylights) were published after Fleming’s death.
- Only Bond’s first five novels received positive reviews from critics. The tides began to turn with Dr. No, which received extremely harsh criticism from a number of prominent reviewers. Despite the reviews, Fleming’s work remained wildly popular among readers.
- Numerous authors have been inspired to take up the mantle and continue the James Bond legacy. Kingsley Amis, John Gardner, Raymond Benson, Sebastian Faulks, and Charlie Higson are the most famous of these. Kate Westbrook took a fresh approach, telling the story from Ms. Moneypenny’s perspective.
To date, Ian Fleming’s Bond books are some of the most popular fiction books of all time; they have sold over 100 million copies worldwide. Seven different actors have played James Bond, and the character still continues to capture our imagination.
December 21st, 2011
“A novel is balanced between a few true impressions and the multitude of false ones that make up most of what we call life.” So spoke Saul Bellow, one of the greatest American authors of the twentieth century. Rare book collectors have consistently been interested in Bellow’s works, and that interest will only grow as his books get more scarce over time.
Bellow entered the American literature scene in 1947 with Dangling Man. Though reviewers criticized the novel’s lack of definitive plot, they also noted that the book wonderfully captured the character and challenges of the American intellectual during the Great Depression.
Bellow published his second novel, The Victim, later that same year. These two first novels are considered Bellow’s “apprentice works.” First editions tend to be more scarce not only because fewer copies were printed in the first place. Dangling Man’s wartime printing meant cheaper materials that have not withstood the test of time very well.
Bellow established his literary prowess with The Adventures of Augie March (1954), which later won the National Book Award. Bellow won the award twice more, with Herzog (1965) and with Mr. Sammler’s Planet (1971). He went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Humboldt’s Gift (1976). These award-winning novels are easier for collectors to find. They fetch a premium if they’re in exceptional condition or are inscribed by Bellow.
Meanwhile Bellow also ventured into play writing. His 1965 Last Analysis is considered an excellent addition to any Bellow collection, although it can be difficult to find. He also penned numerous short stories. By his death in 2005, Bellow had published 14 novels and novellas; four short-story collections; a memoir (To Jerusalem and Back, 1976); and an essay collection (It All Adds Up, 1994).
Following Bellow’s death, executors of his estate collaborated with Evelyn Stefannson Nef to establish the PEN/Saul Bellow Award. The award is granted to a “distinguished living American author of fiction whose body of work in English possesses the qualities of excellence, ambition, and scale of achievement over a sustained career which place him or her in the highest rank of American literature.” In 2007, Bellow’s colleague Philip Roth was named the first winner.
In 2010 Bellow’s friend and fellow author Benjamin Taylor published Saul Bellow: Letters. The anthology of Bellow’s correspondence earned widespread acclaim for capturing Bellow’s life so beautifully.
The University of Illinois has an outstanding Bellow collection of over 900 volumes. Dr. Joe Walker Kraus curates the collection. Dr. Kraus’ dedication to Bellow illustrates the devotion so common among Bellow enthusiasts and collectors. Interest in his work has grown over time, and his books promise to remain popular among rare book collectors in the future.
Saul Bellow’s status as a Nobel laureate also places him in the illustrious company of other renowned authors like Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Doris Lessing. We offer one of the most extensive collections of rare books by Nobel Prize-winning authors. How do these legendary authors figure into your collection?
September 14th, 2011
We’ve recently been lucky enough to acquire a beautiful collection of Edgar Rice Burroughs books. Best known for his Tarzan novels, Burroughs was one of the most prolific authors of the early 20th century. His sci-fi and fantasy novels inspired a generation of writers, artists, producers, and even scientists.
A Bit about Burroughs
After graduating from the Michigan Military Academy, Burroughs enlisted in the Army. He was discharged due to a heart condition and found himself working a string of low-level jobs. Burroughs eventually took a job with his father’s firm, but after seven years of earning low wages, it was time to move on.
Burroughs took a job as a pencil sharpener wholesaler, where he found himself with plenty of time on his hands. That’s when he began reading pulp fiction magazines. Burroughs quickly realized that “…if people were paid for writing rot such as I read in some of those magazines, that I could write stories just as rotten. As a matter of fact, although I had never written a story, I knew absolutely that I could write stories just as entertaining and probably a whole lot more so than any I chanced to read in those magazines.”
What soon followed was Burroughs’ first work, Under the Moons of Mars, which was serialized. He later published it as a novel, with the title A Princess on Mars. Over the next 40 years, Burroughs went on to write over 70 novels, including the following series:
- Barsoom series: The setting of this series is the planet Barsoom, a romanticized version of Mars. The series earned Burroughs the honor of a crater named after him on the red planet.
- Tarzan series: After the Tarzan series gained popularity, Burroughs defied popular wisdom and used the character in comic books and other spin-offs. Burroughs even named his California ranch “Tarzana,” and it later grew into a town of the same name.
- Pellucider series: Set at the core of Earth, the Pellucider series Burroughs envisions the earth as a hollow shell, with the world of Pellucider at its center. Its continents mirror the world’s oceans, and its bodies of water mirror the seven continents.
- Venus series: The protagonist of the Venus series sets out for Mars, only to land on Venus. The planet turns out to be a water world whose human-like inhabitants call the planet Amtor.
- Caspak series: After a series of unfortunate events, the hero Bowen Tyler finds himself in the land of Caprona, where dinosaurs still roam and the inhabitants are still in various stage of hominid development.
Burroughs also wrote multiple historical and Western novels, along with other jungle adventures not featuring Tarzan. Many of his books were first published in serial form, including the works in the Moon series. The definitive bibliography of Burroughs’ works, by Robert B. Zeuschner, is an indispensible tool for anyone who plans to assemble an outstanding Burroughs collection.
Our Edgar Rice Burroughs collection includes wonderful first editions of many of Burroughs works. If you’d like to see some of his well-known works or discover new favorites, we invite you to peruse the collection.
August 3rd, 2011
The short answer not only is yes, you can. It is, yes you should.
Of course you’ve also heard that “condition is everything,” so how can you maintain your book’s condition and still enjoy reading it? Both should be achievable objectives.
As you’ve invested time and money in rare books, first editions, or signed books, you’ll want to do everything you can to protect their value. At the same time, passionate, “true” collectors are most knowledgeable about the content of the books, the bindings, dust-wrappers, etc. in their collection.
So how do we go about handling the books in our collection:
- Remove the shrink wrap: If you have obtained a (leather-bound or other) book in shrink-wrap, either by the publisher or seller, the recommendation is to remove the shrink wrap. Depending on the type of shrink wrap (archival quality), the shrink-wrap might actually be harmful to book and binding. In either case though, the lack of oxygen can have deteriorating effects on binding and books, especially leather.
- Take off the shelf with care: Protect the book binding. To retrieve a rare book from the shelf, push the neighboring books in and grab the book you’d like in the center of the spine. Do not pull it out at the top of the spine.
- Be gentle: Open a collectible book only as far as it wants to go. Don’t “crack open” the binding.
- Get a bookmark: Of course, no “dog ears” (fold down) to pages of the book. A thin and soft bookmark won’t impact pages or binding. Better yet, write down your page number on a separate sheet.
- Protect the dust jacket: Dust wrappers are meant to protect your book, but as such, they are often the first to experience damage. See the earlier blog on protecting dust-jackets.
- Avoid sunning: We’ve seen more than one example where exposure to direct sunlight has virtually destroyed the financial value of a library by fading and bleaching out books’ dust-jackets and bindings. In short, books and documents should not be exposed to direct sunlight. A proper reading room or library is equipped with the appropriate shutters and/or UV light protection.
As even slight wear and tear can drastically impact a book’s value, you do want to play it safe and maximize your precautions when handling and studying your book. After all, a collection of substantial publications is a significant contribution to safeguarding human heritage and preserving it for future generations.
Further Reading:
National Library of Scotland
Related Posts:
Book Collecting Basics: Ditch the Dust Jacket?
April 13th, 2011
The Department of Defense recently purchased and destroyed thousands of copies of an Army Reserve officer’s memoir in an effort to safeguard state secrets, a spokeswoman said Saturday.
“DoD decided to purchase copies of the first printing because they contained information which could cause damage to national security,” Pentagon spokeswoman Lt. Col. April Cunningham said. In a statement to CNN, Cunningham said defense officials observed the September 20 destruction of about 9,500 copies of Army Reserve Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer’s new memoir “Operation Dark Heart.”
Shaffer says he was notified Friday about the Pentagon’s purchase. “The whole premise smacks of retaliation,” Shaffer told CNN on Saturday. “Someone buying 10,000 books to suppress a story in this digital age is ludicrous.” Shaffer’s publisher, St. Martin’s Press, released a second printing of the book that it said had incorporated some changes the government had sought “while redacting other text he (Shaffer) was told was classified.”
From single words and names to entire paragraphs, blacked out lines appear throughout the book’s 299 pages.
CNN obtained a memo from the Defense Intelligence Agency dated August 6 in which Lt. Gen. Ronald Burgess claims the DIA tried for nearly two months to get a copy of the manuscript. Burgess said the DIA’s investigation “identified significant classified information, the release of which I have determined could reasonably be expected to cause serious damage to national security.”
Burgess said the manuscript contained secret activities of the U.S. Special Operations Command, CIA and National Security Agency.
Shaffer’s lawyer, Mark Zaid, said earlier this month that the book was reviewed by Shaffer’s military superiors prior to publication.
“There was a green light from the Army Reserve Command,” Zaid told CNN.
But intelligence agencies apparently raised objections when they received copies of the book.
The Pentagon contacted St. Martin’s Press in early August to convey its concerns over the release of the book. According to the publisher, at that time the first printings were just about to be shipped from its warehouse. Shaffer said he and the publisher worked hard “to make sure nothing in the book would be detrimental to national security.”
“When you look at what they took out (in the 2nd edition), it’s lunacy,” Shaffer said. The Pentagon says Shaffer should have sought wider clearance for the memoir.
“He did clear it with Army Reserve but not with the larger Army and with Department of Defense,” Department of Defense spokesman Col. David Lapan said earlier this month. “So he did not meet the requirements under Department of Defense regulations for security review.”
One of the book’s first lines reads, “Here I was in Afghanistan (redaction) My job: to run the Defense Intelligence Agency’s operations out of (redaction) the hub for U.S. operations in country.”
In chapter 15, titled “Tipping Point,” 21 lines within the first two pages are blacked out.
In the memoir, Shaffer recalls his time in Afghanistan leading a black-ops team during the Bush administration. The Bronze Star medal recipient told CNN he believes the Bush administraton’s biggest mistake during that time was misunderstanding the culture there.
Defense officials said they are in the process of reimbursing the publisher for the cost of the first printing and have not purchased copies of the redacted version.
At least one seller on the online auction site eBay claiming to have a first-edition printing is selling it for an asking price of nearly $2,000. The listed retail price for the second printing is $25.99.
Source: CNN
September 25th, 2010
An early copy of Paradise Lost could be paradise found for a John Milton enthusiast as the annual Calgary book sale has unearthed a rare copy of this epic poem. The early edition, from the 1700s, is expected to fetch several hundred dollars when it goes up for sale in a couple of weeks.
Continue Reading May 31st, 2010
Visit us this weekend in St. Petersburg at the 29th Florida Antiquarian Book Fair
March 12, 5:30-9pm, March 13, 10am -5pm, and March 14, 11am -4pm.
If you cannot be on site, please browse the selection of books at Books Tell You Why – Florida selection.
Presented items include collectible books in the following areas: Antiquarian Golf and Fishing Books, Awarded Children’s Books, Books To Film, Collectible Cookbooks (incl. signed items from Julia Child, Emeril, Thomas Keller, Paula Deen), Caroliniana and a couple of Charles van Sandwyk illustrated books incl. his new title, Canadian Content.
March 11th, 2010
Please visit us at the Los Angeles ABAA Bookfair at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza between Friday, February 12, 2010 at 5:00pm and Sunday, February 14, 2010 at 5:00pm. Books Tell You Why will be in booth 419. We usually get a couple of complimentary tickets, please contact us if interested.
Continue Reading January 29th, 2010
Ready for Valentine’s Day? So, they’re making this movie on “our” beach, Charleston, South Carolina. They must have known that we have all Nicholas Sparks books, signed first editions.
Continue Reading January 16th, 2010
