Connecticut Live and In-Person River Book Auction
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13™, 2023
South Congregational Church, 949 Main Street in South Glastonbury, CT 06073.
www.ctriverbookauction.com

SOUTH GLASTONBURY, CONN. — The Friday, October 13, Connecticut River Book Auction at the South Congregational Church at 6 pm offers fans of Charles Dickens the opportunity to obtain a copy of a work that tarnished the reputation of the much esteemed author in the eyes of many Americans. The work, American Notes, was published in 1842 shortly after his extended visit to the United States.

Dickens, who had imagined the United States as a utopian republic, found in his travels across New England, the mid-Atlantic and Midwest “not the republic of my imagination.” Mobbed at every stop, America’s love of England’s greatest author soon grew wearisome for Dickens, and America’s many faults soon became apparent, including its unsanitary practices, especially the use of chewing tobacco as the following passage suggests:

“As Washington may be called the headquarters of tobacco-tinctured saliva, the time is come when I must confess, without any disguise, that the prevalence of those two odious practices of chewing and expectorating began about this time to be anything but agreeable, and soon became most offensive and sickening.”

An adamant opponent of slavery, Dickens devoted a chapter of this book to a condemnation of the practice. So disappointed was he over its prevalence that plans to visit the South were changed to visit the Midwest instead. At the conclusion of the Chapter 17 he pleads:

“Now, I appeal to every human mind, imbued with the commonest of common sense, and the commonest of common humanity; to all dispassionate, reasoning creatures, of any shade of opinion; and ask, with these revolting evidences of the state of society which exists in and about the slave districts of America before them, can they have a doubt of the real condition of the slave, or can they for a moment make a compromise between the institution or any of its flagrant, fearful features, and their own just consciences?

American Notes offers an insightful glimpse into the mind of a youthful 30-year-old Dickens whose writing prowess and passion for social justice was coming into bloom. The two-volume copy Connecticut River Book Auction has for sale is a first edition, first issue with the misnumbered page xvi in Volume I and the catalog appearing in Volume II.

The South Congregational Church is at 949 Main Street. For information, 860-908-8067 or www.ctriverbookauction.com.

Inspection begins at noon with the auction starting at 6 pm.
With Halloween fast approaching, what better time to sit back with a good mystery that will test both your nerves and crime solving skills. Here is a small sampling of our offerings: from Raymond Chandler (1945) “Five Sinister Characters,” the 1st edition issued by Avon Murder Mystery and (1953) “The Long Good-Bye,” the 1st UK edition along with (1954) the 1st U.S. edition. More recent mystery authors include: Crumley (2001) “The Final Country,” a limited signed edition in slipcase with a signed 1st trade edition of this book and Robert B. Parker’s (1980) “Looking for Rachel Wallace,” and (2009) “Brimstone,” both signed 1st editions.
Are you fan of Stephen King? If yes, then consider a signed and dated copy of “Firestarter” by this remarkable author. Or signed 1st edition copies by Vonnegut of (1987) “Bluebeard,” (1973) “Breakfast of Champions,” and (1976) “Slapstick.” To these add Anne Rice’s (1997) “Violin,” and J. R Donleavy (1968) “The Beastly Beautitudes of Balthazar B,” and (1973) “A Fairy Tale of New York,” all are signed 1st editions. Still not finding an author to enjoy then how about McGuane’s (1978) “Panama,” or Rose Styron’s (1973) “Thieves Afternoon,” or William Styron’s (1960) “Set This House on Fire,” again all are signed 1st editions.
Not interested in fiction then consider this small sampling of the art and design books for sale: Holbein (1939) “Les Dessins de Hans Holbein Le Jeune,” in 8 uncollated elephant folios, Okuda (1920) “On the Gosu-Akaye Ware,” in slipcase and Weidenmann (1870) Beautifying Country Homes A Handbook of Landscape Gardening,” with 24 chromolithograph plates.
This auction has a wealth of signed children’s titles and pop-up books by Rinehart (2005) “Cinderella A Pop Up Fairy Tale,” by O’Malley (2007) “Christmas at the Zoo A Pop-Up Winter Wonderland,” by Fischer (2005) “Christmas in New York A PopUp Book,” and by Sabuda (1994) “The Christmas Alphabet,” with (2007) “Winter in White.”
Ephemera includes several lots of political buttons and political paper, trade cards, post cards and maps. For star gazers there is Bowditch’s (1868) “The New American Practical Navigator,” with Doolittle’s (1888) “A Treatise on Practical Astronomy as applied to Geodesy and Navigation.” Both volumes should ready the reader for when it was thought that Mars might be populated or so Lowell suggested in (1906) “Mars and Its Canals,” and (1908) “Mars as the Abode of Life.” Both 1st editions are ex library copies.
Finally, there is a lovely 2 volume 1st edition, 1st issue set of Dickens (1842) “American Notes,” with the misnumbered xvi in Vol. I and the catalogue in Vol. II. If you are not familiar with this title, it brought considerable disfavor down upon its author for his truthful criticism of the American people. Or if you’re a lover of true sea-faring stories, we have a rarely found copy of Captain Gurdon Allyn’s (1879) account of his life as a whaler and as a witness to the battle of the Monitor and Merrimack.
For more information on this 6 pm, Friday, October 13th book auction to be held at the South Congregational Church, 949 Main Street, South Glastonbury, CT 06073 visit ctriverbookauction.com or call Tom at 1-860-908-8067.
www.ctriverbookauction.com • 860-908-8067