The Crossing, first edition
Knopf, New York, 1994
First edition with “First edition” and no mention of subsequent printings on the copyright page. Hardcover, 21.9 x 15 cm, 425 numbered pages. Publisher’s black paper covered and cloth boards. lettered in gilt on the spine and with “CM” initials in gilt on the front panel. Top edge stained in reddish brown. White dust-jacket lettered in black and in white on brown boxes, designed by Chip Kidd, featuring a photograph by Melanie Acevedo on the front cover and another of McCarthy by Marion Ettlinger on the back flap. “A BOOK-OF-THE-MONTH CLUB MAIN SELECTION” and price of “FPT USA $23.00 / CANADA $29.95” on the front flap, code “6/94” at the bottom of back flap. Quote from t5he citation for the National Book Award on the back panel (APG 007f).
Inscribed on the title page: “For Toni/ Fond best wishes / Your friend / Cormac”.
CONDITION: near fine in a fine dustjacket. Published on June 15, 1994, at $23, in a first print run of 150,000 copies.
It is worth to note that, while the blue proof and APG state a first printing of 150,000 copies, Woolmer in his bibliographical notes mentions a number of 200,000 copies plus a second printing of 25,000 within a week from the first. By July the book had arrived to the fourth printing.
RECIPIENT: the book is inscribed to a woman who, at the time, ran the newspaper stand at La Fonda Hotel in Santa Fe. La Fonda is the oldest hotel in Santa Fe, founded in 1922 and located in the historic Santa Fe Plaza. McCarthy was very fond of it, lived there for a while, and became a close friend of the owner, Sam Ballen, until Ballen’s death in 2007.
The close friendship with Toni lasted for a long time, as evidenced by the fact that McCarthy also inscribed first edition copies of All the Pretty Horses and Cities of the Plain to her, along with a batch of eight paperback editions of his novels.
REVIEW COPIES with a photo and publisher’s slip laid in have been noted.
REMAINDERED COPIES: noted, with a remainder stripe on bottom text-block edge. BOOK CLUB EDITIONS: issued in 1994, it differs from the first trade edition because it doesn’t features “First Edition” on the copyright page. Additionally, the dust jacket is not priced. Woolmer quotes a Quality paperback book club edition published on January 1995.
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