"BOTH ADMIRABLE AND RARE": FIRST EDITION OF THE LAST PICTURE SHOW, WARMLY INSCRIBED BY LARRY MCMURTRY TO A FRIEND WHO WORKED IN A SHOP NEAR MCMURTRY'S DC BOOKSTORE

MCMURTRY, Larry. The Last Picture Show. New York: Dial, 1966. Octavo, original tan cloth, original dust jacket. $3000.

First edition of McMurtry's popular third novel, warmly inscribed: "For Brian Curtiss—whose delicacy in regard to the feelings of harassed minor [?] novelists is both admirable and rare—with my Best Wishes—Larry McMurtry. 1-8-72."

In The Last Picture Show, "one of Larry McMurtry's most powerful, memorable novels," he introduced characters who would return in his later novels Texasville and Duane's Depressed (Boston Globe). Dust jacket slightly short, but conforming to all first edition points. Bruccoli & Clark IV:262. The inscribee, Brian Curtiss, was McMurtry's friend as well as a shopkeeper who worked near Larry McMurtry's Georgetown bookstore "Booked Up" at 31st and M Street. Booked Up closed in the mid-'90s and McMurtry opened his famous bookstore in Archer City, Texas.

Book fine, dust jacket near-fine with only slight wear to extremities and mild toning to spine. A lovely and desirable inscribed copy.