Humboldt's Gift by BELLOW, Saul - 1975

New York: The Viking Press, 1975. Hardcover. Small 4to. Pale orange cloth spine with black lettering and yellow paper over boards, dust jacket. 487pp. Near fine/very good. Mild jacket edgewear, with small chip at head of spine; text block lightly age toned as usual. A handsome, tight first edition of this 1976 Pulitzer Prize winner by the three-time National Book Award winner and Nobel laureate -- and a choice presentation copy, bearing a fine author inscription and signature in blue ballpoint on inner flyleaf "To Judge Abraham Lincoln / Marovitz / -- the homage of / letters to justice / Best wishes / Saul Bellow / June 3 1982." Marovitz (1905-2001) was a famed Chicago attorney and long-time powerful U.S. District Court judge. His inkstamped "From the Library of / Judge Abraham Lincoln Marovitz" appears twice on the front pastedown. Both Bellow and Marovitz were Lithuanian Jews (Bellow born in Canada, Marovitz in the U.S.) who knew each other well as fellow notable Chicagoans.