A rare collection of signed William Faulkner books and personal items sold at auction Tuesday for $833,246.
The collection of 90 items was nearly a complete representation of Faulkner’s work, said the auction house, Christie’s.
The highest priced item was “Absalom, Absalom!” a story about Southern poverty, which sold for $86,500. The first edition novel exceeded the $40,000 to $60,000 pre-sale estimate. Inscribed copies of the book are extremely rare, with only two others recorded at auction in the last 30 years, according to Christie’s.
In addition to books, there were other items available as well, including a Western Union telegram to his daughter.
Faulkner, who died in 1962, was a Nobel Prize-winning author who wrote novels, novellas and short stories. He was also a published poet and an occasional screenwriter.