The Passenger & Stella Maris, first limited slipcased edition, signed state.
Knopf, New York, 2022
First limited edition, only printing, signed state, two volumes housed in a pictorial slipcase. Hardcover, 24,9 x 17,2 cm., 383 + 189 numbered pages with numbers appearing only on odd-numbered pages. The Passenger in publisher’s blue cloth lettered in gold on the spine; Stella Maris in publisher’s brick red lettered in gold on spine. In uniform blue-tone dustjackets designed by Chip Kidd with the codes “10/2022” (The Passenger) and “12/2022” (Stella Maris) on the back flap. Heavy cardboard slipcase showing the code “12/2022”, wrapped in shrinkwrap who has a sticker glued on stating the price ”US $56.00 /CAN $77.00” and the ISBN “9780593537299”. Barnes & Noble receipt included.
Signed by McCarthy on tipped-in pages in black ink (The Passenger) and blue ink (Stella Maris).
CONDITION: fine in a near fine slipcase, shrinkwrap opened but present.
Published on December 6, 2022, released to the public on December 9, 2022. Issued in 500 sets at $56.
The boxed edition was released in two states: an unsigned state consisting of 50,000 sets and a signed state issued in 500 sets. The books of both states are identical to those of the first trade editions except for the tipped-in page bearing McCarthy’s signature present in the signed state. The dustjackets differ: the copies included in the boxed sets have uniform blue-tone dustjackets instead of the two-tones dustjackets of the first trade edition copies.
The signed state, if unopened, is distinguishable from the unsigned state only by a sticker bearing a different ISBN number affixed over the one printed on the lower edge of the slipcase. There are two different ISBNs for the signed boxed sets, one for sets sold through various independent bookstores (9780593537565), the other (9780593537299, like in this copy) for sets sold through select Barnes & Noble stores.
The unsigned state was released on December 6 at select independent bookshops and select (not all) Barnes & Noble bookstores. Knopf also sent 1-2 copies of the signed boxes, on the condition that they be released on December, 9.
The number of signed state sets was kept confidential by Knopf. I had this confirmed by Cormac McCarthy’s agent Amanda Urban.
COLLECTING TOPICS:
sets in signed state are still common on the market. They can be found at a price of around $500. Sets distributed by independent bookstores seem to be scarcer than those distributed by Barnes & Noble.
Discover more from The MCCARTHYIST
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
2 Responses
Interesting how the limitation pages are signed in different color ink…
Sean,
I guess it is because McCarthy signed 1000 blank leafs. He had to do that from time to time, changing pen. After that, the binder pair the leaves random.
Best,
Umberto