How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

SEUSS, Dr. [Theodor Geisel].

Item Number: 131592

New York: Random House, 1957.

First edition, first printing of one of the most celebrated and memorable Christmas stories with all issue points present: Cat in the Hat on back cover of book with 14 titles (up to now) listed on the rear flap and a list of 13 books printed at the end of the book. Dust jacket price reads 250/250. Presentation copy, inscribed by Dr. Seuss opposite the title page, “For Eric- With Best Wishes- from Dr. Seuss.” Thin quarto, original illustrated glossy paper boards, pictorial endpapers. Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box made by the Harcourt Bindery. A very sharp example, most desirable signed and inscribed.

"Clearly the Grinch has been the most memorable Christmas villain to undergo redemption since Ebenezer Scrooge. To some degree, Ted identified with the Grinch When asked why he wrote the book, Dr. Seuss replied, ‘I was brushing my teeth on the morning of the 26th of last December when I noted a very Grinch-ish countenance in the mirror. It was Seuss! So I wrote the story about my sour friend, the Grinch, to see if I could rediscover something about Christmas that obviously I’d lost.’ It was no coincidence that, when the book appeared in 1957, the Grinch complained, ‘For fifty-three years I’ve put up with it now’ Ted, of course, was born in 1904 After The Cat in the Hat and The Grinch, Ted’s reputation grew exponentially" (Cohen, 329-30). The book has been adapted into several stage and film productions including the classic animated special produced in 1966 featuring narration by Boris Karloff as well as the 2000 live-action film directed by Ron Howard and starring Jim Carrey as the Grinch.