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To Kill a Mockingbird.

To Kill a Mockingbird.

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To Kill a Mockingbird.

by Lee, Harper

  • Used
  • Signed
  • first
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Palm Beach, Florida, United States
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About This Item

Barnstable, MA, 1960. Rare advance reading copy of the first edition of Harper Lee's classic Pulitzer Prize-winning novel signed by three actors from the 1962 film and with a two page autograph letter signed and entirely in the hand of Harper Lee declining the invitation to participate in a documentary film about her novel. Octavo, original wrappers. Presentation copy, inscribed by three actors from the film on the pastedown and front free endpaper, "Bonnie Great Weekend My Best Wishes Phillip Alford 'Jem'", "To Bonnie Sincere regards Brock Peters 'Tom Robinson'", and "Bonnie, Thank you so much for all your help this week. Please stay in touch. You are now a member of our family. Sincerely Mary Badham 'Scout.'" With an autograph letter signed and entirely in the hand of Harper Lee which reads in full, "3 September '97 NYC but on the way South! Dear Ms. Lafave: I am sorry to be so long in writing you, but Claudia Johnson sent your letter to my NY address where I signed for it on my way out of town. I'm back here now, but only until Saturday, when I return to Monroeville for the winter. I must say no to your kind request. I simply do not grant interviews, & loathe talking about myself, and the prospect of participating in a documentary film fills me with dread. You may not realize it, but in the five years since you visited there, Monroeville has developed a new industry - tourism, with Harper Lee the main attraction. They've even produced a map, showing where the houses of my neighborhood used to be! I cannot tell you of the cynicism of the whole operation and the embarrassment it causes me. Monroeville is now a perfect example of Faulknerian prophecy: in the South, the Snopeses shall prevail, Faulkner was breathtaking in the accuracy of his observations. (That might be worth looking into for a film, although it requires a re-reading of the Snopes trilogy!) Why even return, you may well ask. Because of family, that is the one and only reason. I did so love the Eudora Welty film. She, of course, is my favorite American writer and the film itself seemed perfect of its kind. Thank you for it, and for thinking of me in similar terms! Sincerely, Harper Lee." With the original transmittal envelope addressed in Harper Lee's hand and postmarked September 4, 1997. The recipient, Bonnie Lafave is an American documentary filmmaker and producer. In the early 1990s Lefave reached out to Alice Lee to see if she could assist her in arranging a meeting with Harper Lee to discuss the production of a documentary film about the place of To Kill a Mockingbird in American culture. She met with Alice at her law office in Monroeville and was told that Nelle "preferred a quiet life" and would not want to participate, however, she was welcome to send her a letter. Some time later, Lefave began to correspond with writer and scholar, Claudia Durst Johnson, who had a warm relationship with Ms. Lee. In 1997, Claudia was attending a conference about To Kill a Mockingbird in Virginia and suggested that Lefave attend also. She brought with her her advance reading copy of To Kill a Mockingbird to share with Claudia which she impulsively asked three members of the cast of the 1962 film adaptation who were also in attendance, including Mary Badham who played Scout. After the conference, Lefave wrote a careful letter to Ms. Lee which Claudia forwarded to her for her consideration. Lee kindly responded with her own letter, and not surprisingly, declined to participate in the documentary. In near fine condition. An exceptional example of this rarity, printed before the first trade edition appeared and was swiftly acknowledged as one of the greatest American novels of the twentieth century, with fine provenance, and offering remarkable insight into Lee's deep personal thoughts regarding the reception of her great work. To Kill a Mockingbird became an immediate bestseller and won the 1961 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. The New Yorker declared it "skilled, unpretentious, and totally ingenious". It has gone on to become of the best-loved classics of all time and has been translated into more than forty languages selling more than forty million copies worldwide. Made into the Academy Award-winning film, directed by Robert Mulligan, starring Gregory Peck. It went on to win three Oscars: Best Actor for Gregory Peck, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White, and Best Screenplay for Horton Foote. It was nominated for five more Oscars including Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Mary Badham, the actress who played Scout. In 1995, the film was listed in the National Film Registry. In 2003, the American Film Institute named Atticus Finch the greatest movie hero of the 20th century. In 2007 the film ranked twenty-fifth on the AFI's 10th anniversary list of the greatest American movies of all time. It was named the best novel of the twentieth century by librarians across the country (Library Journal).

Synopsis

To Kill a Mockingbird is a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Harper Lee published in 1960. It was instantly successful and has become a classic of modern American literature. The plot and characters are loosely based on the author's observations of her family and neighbors, as well as on an event that occurred near her hometown in 1936, when she was 10 years old. The novel is renowned for its warmth and humor, despite dealing with serious issues of rape and racial inequality.

Read More: Identifying first editions of To Kill a Mockingbird.

Reviews

On Feb 28 2019, a reader said:
Wow....how special
On Aug 9 2015, CloggieDownunder said:
“I never deliberately learned to read……..Now that I was compelled to think about it, reading was something that just came to me, as learning to fasten the seat of my union suit without looking around, or achieving two bows from a snarl of shoelaces. I could not remember when the line above Atticus’s moving finger separated into words, but I had stared at them all the evenings in my memory, listening to the news of the day, Bills To Be Enacted into Laws, the diaries of Lorenzo Day - anything Atticus happened to be reading when I crawled into his lap every night. Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.”

To Kill a Mockingbird is the first published novel by American author, Harper Lee. Almost-nine-year-old Scout (Jean Louise) Finch had never set eyes on her reclusive neighbour, Boo (Arthur) Radley, until the night of Halloween, 1935. To Scout, her almost-thirteen-year-old brother, Jem (Jeremy Atticus Finch) and their summer vacation friend, Dill (Charles Parker Harris), Boo Radley was an almost mythical creature who remained hidden in the Radley house and was the subject of much childhood speculation. Their fascination was frowned upon by their father, Atticus, a lawyer elected to the state legislature.

When Atticus took on the defence of a black man, he warned his children that some unpleasantness could well be the result. This was, after all, Alabama, and attitudes to race and class were strongly prejudiced, but what happened after the verdict was beyond anyone’s expectations.

Lee’s telling of events from Scout’s point of view gives the reader a unique perspective that includes much humour as Scout, Jem and Dill learn life’s lessons. The Finch’s black housekeeper, Calpurnia, their neighbour, Miss Maudie Atkinson, their Aunt Alexandra, Atticus, and even Jem are given words of wisdom that will resonate today as they did when the book was first published: “People in their right minds never take pride in their talents” and “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view – until you climb into his skin and walk around in it” are but two examples.

Lee’s book deserves multiple readings: each pass through will reveal new delights. Truman Capote’s description: “A touching book; and so funny, so likeable” is wholly apt. Unforgettable.

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Details

Seller
Raptis Rare Books US (US)
Seller's Inventory #
133817
Title
To Kill a Mockingbird.
Author
Lee, Harper
Book Condition
Used
Place of Publication
Barnstable, MA
Date Published
1960
Keywords
first edition, go set a watchman harper lee, Go Set A Watchman signed first edition, Pulitzer Prize, Signed Harper Lee, To Kill A Mockingbird First Edition, To Kill A Mockingbird Signed First Edition

Terms of Sale

Raptis Rare Books

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About the Seller

Raptis Rare Books

Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Biblio member since 2012
Palm Beach, Florida

About Raptis Rare Books

Founded by Matthew and Adrienne Raptis, Raptis Rare Books is an antiquarian book firm that specializes in literature, children's books, economics, photo books, signed and inscribed books, and landmark books in all fields. Our business model is simple: we strive to handle books that are in exceptional condition and to provide exceptional customer service.

Glossary

Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:

First Edition
In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
New
A new book is a book previously not circulated to a buyer. Although a new book is typically free of any faults or defects, "new"...
Octavo
Another of the terms referring to page or book size, octavo refers to a standard printer's sheet folded four times, producing...
Inscribed
When a book is described as being inscribed, it indicates that a short note written by the author or a previous owner has been...
Wrappers
The paper covering on the outside of a paperback. Also see the entry for pictorial wraps, color illustrated coverings for...
Fine
A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
Reading Copy
Indicates a book that is perfectly serviceable for reading. It may have a defect or damage. As such, reading copy is not a...

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