A small but interesting collection of Cormac McCarthy’s firsts is for sale at the well known Downtown Brown Books run by Scott Brown. The collection includes nice copies of highlights like Blood Meridian as well as scarce proofs and first English edition.

The McCarthy collection, consisting of about thirty items, was part of a huge literature collection gathered in some decades by the Texan attorney Tom Garner. Some of the interest, other then in the quality of the books, lies in the figure of Garner, to whom Scott Brown devotes an accurate and affectionate portrait. It is also interesting to note the comically small prices Garner payed in 1995 and 1996 for key books of his collection. Can you imagine to buy a near fine first edition copy of Blood Meridian for $75? Or the first English edition of the same title for $38? Or even the rare Blood Meridian proof for $475?

The sale of the Garner collection will keep on with items by Stephen King, next Monday.