Books

New York: Grove Press, Inc, 1959. First edition. Fine in near fine dust jacket.. First printing of this "experimental, florid, and wild" (LOUISVILLE COURIER-JOURNAL, 61) tale of dreams and childhood fantasies – in excellent condition. Written while living with William S. Burroughs in Mexico City, DOCTOR SAX is a prime example of Kerouac's "spontaneous prose" – a style of writing he compared to jazz music. Its setting and theme are unique among Kerouac's works, reflecting his own childhood through a "dark funhouse" mirror rather than the wild adult "years of Beats and bodhisattvas" (Lehman) he is best known for. This copy is in notably sharp condition, exhibiting very little of the dust jacket rubbing normally seen on first printings. 8'' x 5.25''. Original grey cloth boards. Original unclipped ($3.50) dust jacket. 246 pages. Small bookseller label to rear pastedown. Jacket with light wear to spine ends, one tiny closed tear; a touch of sunning to spine. Tight and clean.

Doctor Sax (Faust Part Three) is a novel by Jack Kerouac. The third book of Kerouac's autobiographical series, the story unfolds in the author's hometown of Lowell, Massachusetts. It follows the dark and mystical adventures of the protagonist Jack Duluoz, Kerouac's alter ego, as he navigates a realm of fantasy peopled by the enigmatic figure of Doctor Sax and other characters.

First editions of 'Doctor Sax' published by Grove Press in 1959 typically state 'First Printing' on the copyright page and may have a dust jacket, which can also bear signs of being a first edition like the price.