For some people, New Jersey is synonymous with Snooki. But discerning readers and collectors also know it as the home of legendary author Philip Roth. Today is Roth’s 79th birthday, a perfect time to take a fresh look at his literary contributions and achievements.
Roth grew up in Newark, New Jersey, the son of first-generation American parents who were Jews of Galician descent. His family’s heritage—and his childhood in New Jersey—featured prominently in many of his literary works. Indeed, Roth’s writing is often highly autobiographical. His first marriage, to Margaret, Martinson, for example heavily influenced his female characters in several novels including When She Was Good (1967) and My Life as a Man (1974).
When Roth published his first book, Goodbye, Columbus, in 1959, the work immediately earned critical acclaim. The novella and collection of five short stories earned Roth the National Book Award in 1960. He then ventured into novel writing with Letting Go (1962) and When She Was Good. But it was Roth’s third novel, Portnoy’s Complaint (1970) that earned both critical and commercial success. The novel pushed Roth to the forefront of American literature.
Over the next decade, Roth would experiment with various genres like political satire (Our Gang, 1971). He would later address aspects of politics in I Married a Communist (1988), The Human Stain (2000), and The Plot against America (2004). During this period Roth also developed recurring character Nathan Zuckerman, who showed up in several novels and made his final appearance in Exit Ghost (2007). Over the years Roth has remained incredibly productive; his 31st book, Nemesis was published in October, 2010. It was the fourth in a series that includes Everyman, Indignation, and The Humbling.
In total, Roth has earned the National Book Award twice and has been named a finalist four times. He is the only author to win the PEN/Faulkner Award three times, and the first to win the PEN/Saul Bellow Award. His novels have earned two National Book Critics Circle Awards, and another five were finalists. American Pastoral (1997) Roth earned the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters in 2002. Among his most recent accolades was the 2011 Man Booker International Prize.
March 19th, 2012
Charles Dickens has inspired generations of writers, readers, and book lovers. Born in 1812, Dickens earned the reputation of preeminent novelist of the Victorian era. His contributions to literature mean that Charles Dickens’ books remain incredibly appealing to rare book collectors. Bet you didn’t know these tidbits about Charles Dickens:
- Dickens’ novels and stories first appeared in monthly or serial format. Most authors of his day would write entire novels, and publish sections at a time. Dickens, on the other hand, wrote each episode as he went along.
- His novels and short stories are so popular that they have never gone out of print.
- Dickens’ father, John, was a notorious spendthrift who eventually ended up in debtors’ prison. The rest of the family soon joined him–with the exception of 12-year-old Charles, who went to live with an old family friend.
- Dickens was eventually forced to leave school and take a job in a blacking factory. He worked ten-hour days in often cruel conditions. Dickens’ experience there formed the foundation of Dickens’ opinions on labor and socioeconomic conditions.
- For almost four years, Dickens served as a court reporter. That inside look at the court system informed novels like Dombey and Son. It also provided Dickens’ contemporaries with an enlightening glimpse at how England’s court system really worked.
- Dickens met his first love, Maria Beadnell, in 1830. Her parents disapproved of Dickens and sent Maria to boarding school in Paris. Most scholars agree that Maria was the inspiration behind Dora in David Copperfield.
- When Dickens published his first work, Sketches by Boz, he certainly chose an odd pseudonym. Dickens had nicknamed his brother “Moses,” which when pronounced through the nose, sounds like “Boses.” Boz was the shortened version of this nickname.
- For years, Dickens’ full pseudonym was “The Inimitable Boz.” Eventually he dropped “Boz” and was known simply as “The Inimitable.”
- Dickens, an avid abolitionist, made his first visit to the US in 1842. He carefully documented the atrocities of slavery. Dickens also visited President John Tyler.
- In May 1846, Dickens undertook to establish a home for “fallen women” at the behest of Angela Burdett Coutts. He became extremely active in daily operations, and even interviewed potential residents personally.
- In 1858, Dickens separated from his wife, Catherine, with whom he had ten children. He embarked on an ambitious reading tour, sometimes doing both matinee and evening performances.
- Dickens burned virtually all his personal correspondence in September 1860, ostensibly to destroy evidence of his affair with Ellen Ternan. Ternan received an annuity from Dickens when he died, and it is hypothesized that the two had a child who died in infancy.
- Dickens exercised an odd obsession with the paranormal. He was one of the early members of The Ghost Club, an organization devoted to investigation of paranormal activity.
Collectors of Charles Dickens rely on the definitive bibliography compiled by John C. Eckel in 1932.
November 2nd, 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
