Pristine Christine, Inscribed in the Year of Publication
Christine
Publication: New York: The Viking Press, 1983. First Edition.
Notes: A nearly flawless inscribed copy of this novel about a possessed 1958 Plymouth Fury that John Carpenter adapted into a now-classic horror film.
526 pages.
Edition + Condition: First edition (first printing stating "First published..." on the copyright page, with no indication of later printings). A truly fine copy in a fine dust jacket; most likely preserved in a custom slipcase since the book was new. The author inscribed this copy in the year of publication, "To Walter Shirley—with best wishes, Stephen King 7/27/83."
Walter Shirley began collecting Stephen King around 1980, and he had King inscribe a number of books. Shirley commissioned distinctive red clamshell boxes with gilt-stamped leather labels and folding chemises for his books, resulting in their superior preservation.
The Texas collector Tom Garner acquired this book along with other Shirley-inscribed titles no later than 1996. The books retain distinctive (though unidentified) bookseller markings that can be easily erased but have been preserved for provenance. The timing of Garner's acquisition can be dated through his purchase of the third Dark Tower book from the same bookseller, which qualified him for rights to the fourth Dark Tower book published in 1997.
Recent auction records show Shirley's second printing of 'Salem's Lot in a matching slipcase sold at PBA (December 5, 2024). His inscribed proof of Carrie appeared for sale in AB Bookman's Weekly in 1999.
Item No: #302795
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