Books

Paris: The Olympia Press, 1955. First edition. Near Fine. True first issue of both volumes with the price of 900 Francs printed on the back of each cover. A Near Fine set with the spine a trifle toned, but otherwise clean, fresh copies, appearing unread. Volume 2 with a slight paper flaw affecting one gathering where it looks like the pages bound in have a slight uncut edge (but this appears to be a bindery issue). Housed in a custom clamshell case. This controversial novel is frequently on the list of top books from the past century. Originally released in France because American publishers were wary of such "obscene" material, Lolita tangles sexual taboo and violence with incredibly seductive prose. "Shocking is the reaction the author somehow manages to elicit from his readers: empathy. Readers always read, I think, out of a tremendous curiosity about other human beings, we're looking for another soul on the page, and that's what Nabokov has so fearlessly, so complexly, so…

Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. Lo-lee-ta: the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth. Lo. Lee. Ta.

For the first print run by Olympia Press, two volumes were produced. Look for 'The Olympia Press, Paris' on the title page, '1955' on the copyright page, and absence of any further printings mentioned.