Hemingway, Ernest

Across the River and Into the Trees

Hard Cover, New York: Charles Scribners, 1950. First Edition. Fine.

First edition, advance issue. Dark blue cloth with gilt stamping, one of 25 copies bound for presentation. Signed and inscribed by Hemingway three weeks prior to publication: "For Ben Meyer / from his friend / Ernest Hemingway. / Havana 21/8/50". With original letter and envelope, from Mary Hemingway to Ben Meyer, on Finca Vigia San Francisco de Paula Cuba stationery. Book is lightly bumped to lower corners, else an extremely bright and fine copy. Housed in a custom folding leather and cloth case lettered and ruled in gilt. Ben Meyer was a journalist who traveled to Cuba to interview Hemingway about his latest novel, Across the River and Into the Trees. In the article, Meyer quotes Hemingway as being very pleased with his new work, and describes Hemingway’s house (Finca Vigia, Lookout Farm) and his daily activities. Published first in the Kansas City Star on 10 September, 1950, Meyer’s article celebrates the publication of Across the River, a book Hemingway himself stated "is about love and death, happiness and sorrow and the town of Venice. I really fired all the barrels on this one." Meyer stayed in contact with the Hemingways, as evidenced in the letter to him from Mary Hemingway, dated 1958, thanking him for photos he sent to her of her hometown, Bemidji, MN. Conversations with Ernest Hemingway, Bruccoli, 1986.

Item #EH044       Price: $50,000.00