“To Charles Kirtz with every good wish from J. D. Salinger (extra greetings to Ada and Victor from Sonny Salinger) New York 10/18/56”.
An exceptional rarity: a first edition, first printing, extremely rare presentation copy of The Catcher in the Rye inscribed by the author J. D. Salinger to family friends on the front free endpaper.
Signed or inscribed copies by the reclusive and private Salinger are notoriously scarce, so an inscribed copy of this celebrated work is one of the most elusive prizes in 20th-century American literature.
This copy was one of two inscribed first editions that Salinger gave to Ann Agoos, inscribed to her grandsons Charles and his brother William. Ann, whose bookplate is on the front pastedown, and her husband Sam lived in the same apartment house as Salinger’s parents, at 1182, Park Avenue, New York City.
Salinger was a childhood friend of their children – the mother of the recipient of this book, Ada, and her brother Victor, also referenced in the inscription. The sign-off, “Sonny”, was the nickname given to Salinger by his parents when he was born and this is the only known inscribed copy of the book to be signed by Salinger using this nickname.
This Catcher in the Rye is a fine copy, in a lovely example of the dust jacket, spine panel mildly toned, extremities lightly rubbed and nicked, not price-clipped, the area printed red, which is liable to fade, exceptionally bright and fresh.
