Falconer

CHEEVER, John (1912-1982). 1. "Falconer," 1976. The corrected, final typescript. 220 leaves, quarto, heavily revised throughout by several hands in various color pens, some correction fluid, with typed letter signed from Lee Georner of Alfred A. Knopf returning the typescript to Cheever (final leaf a bit frayed). 2. Falconer . New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1977. First edition, publisher's proof, signed, with revisions. Knopf's final mock-up for the book, with about a half dozen textual differences from the final printed version. Octavo, unbound signatures. 3. John. Falconer . New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1977. First edition; a very fine literary, and later family, association copy, inscribed by Cheever to Malcolm Cowley on the front free endpaper: " To Malcolm and Muriel with love. John Cheever ." With a TLS from Knopf to Cowley thanking him for his kind review of the book and a publicity flyer. Octavo. Original black cloth; dust jacket. The original typescript for Cheever's best-selling novel, heavily revised, plus a Malcolm Cowley association. The revisions in the typescript are largely typographic, but include some substantial editorial enquiries, especially towards the end, and a new final line to novel: "Rejoice, he thought, rejoice." Cheever set much of this novel at Sing Sing prison, where he had taught night school in the early 1970s. Cowley had published one of Cheever's earliest pieces, on being expelled from prep school for smoking, in the New Republic in 1935. In later years Cowley and Cheever became in-laws when Cowley's son Rob and Cheever's daughter Susan married. The union was brief, but Cowley and Cheever remained close until Cheever's death in 1981.

Estimate:$10,000

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