Suttree
New York: Random House, (1979). First Edition. Hardcover. First printing, octavo size, 479 pp., inscribed by Cormac McCarthy. Near fine / very good +. Item #CNJZ0033
Cormac McCarthy (born Charles Joseph McCarthy, Jr., in 1933), is acknowledged by many as one of the greatest contemporary American writers. His first novel, "The Orchard Keeper", won a 1966 William Faulkner Foundation Award for notable first novel; "All the Pretty Horses" would win the National Book Award in 1992, and "No Country for Old Men", conceived as a screen play (and later turned into a novel) won four Academy Awards. He would eventually author twelve novels, three short stories, five screenplays and two plays.
This work, "Suttree" was McCarthy's fourth published novel, although he began writing it twenty years earlier, well before the publication of "Orchard Keeper". The story features Cornelius Suttree, who has left his prominent family and the society they represent, "choosing instead a different world inhabited by people who live precarious, desperate, often violent, lives" (n.b., quote from dust jacket flap).
Inscribed by McCarthy on the title page "For Lambert & Marianne / With Love / Cormac". We were, alas, unable to trace who the inscribees were; however, it is special to have a first edition by this award-winning author so warmly inscribed.
___DESCRIPTION: Quarter black cloth over yellow paper-covered boards, gilt lettering and publisher's device stamped onto the spine, author's initials with decorative rules stamped in gilt onto the front board, inscribed by McCarthy in blue ink as set forth above on the title page, stated First Edition on the copyright page (which per Zempel denotes the first printing for Random House); octavo size (8 3/8" by 5 3/4"), pagination: [i-viii] [1-3] 4-471. Dust jacket has the original price of $12.95, yellow, green, and orange lettering upon a black ground, black-and-white photo of the author on the back panel, summary of book on both flaps.
___CONDITION: Volume near fine, with clean boards and spine, straight corners without rubbing, a strong, square text block with solid hinges, the interior is clean and bright, and free of prior owner markings; a hint of dustiness to the board edges, light foxing and dustiness to the text block edges, a trace of soil on the front endpapers, and a lightly pencilled mark on the verso of the rear free endpaper (prior bookseller's code?). The unclipped jacket better than very good, clean and not sunned (the red colours on the spine as deep as on the front panel), with light overall edgewear.
___PROVENANCE: We acquired this book from a collector who purchased it from an ABAA member who confirmed the signature, details available upon request.
___POSTAGE: International customers, please note that additional postage may apply as the standard does not always cover costs; please inquire for details.
___Swan's Fine Books is pleased to be a member of the ABAA, ILAB, and IOBA and we stand behind every book we sell. Please contact us with any questions you may have, we are here to help.
Price: $12,000.00