NABOKOV (VLADIMIR) Lolita, 2 vol., FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE, with unobscured price 'Francs: 900' on rear wrapper of both volumes, publisher's green, white and black printed wrappers, spine with slight rubbing at edges and minimal creasing but a fine copy, preserved in velvet-lined green morocco-backed cloth solander box by the Chelsea Bindery, spine gilt, 8vo, Paris, Olympia Press, 1955 Footnotes: FINE COPY OF THE FIRST ISSUE OF NABOKOV'S CONTROVERSIAL CLASSIC, published in Paris by Maurice Girodias at the Olympia Press after being rejected by several American publishers. 'Lolita is my best book so far. I calmly lean on my conviction that it is a serious work of art, and that no court could prove it to be 'lewd and libertine'' (Nabokov, letter to Morris Bishop, 6 March 1956). Nonetheless it would only be published in the US and UK three years later after several court cases. First issue copies such ours bear the price 'Francs : 900' on the rear cover, although some had the price manually amended by the bookseller to 1,200 francs after a sudden change in the exchange rate. When the second issue appeared, a correction label was pasted over the price. Provenance: Giacomo Antonini (Venice, 1901-Froxfield, Petersfield, 1983), Italian literary critic whose archive is held at the Gabinetto Vieusseux in Florence, ownership inscription ('Giacomo Antonini/ Firenze, June 1956') on half-title of volume one. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: • • Zero rated for VAT, no VAT will be added to the Hammer Price or the Buyer's Premium. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing