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    Came away this weekend with a Holy Grail and am excited to share my good news.

    I've been a Cormac McCarthy fan for quite some time. In general, I'm a genre hound, and have only half a dozen or so Literary authors whose work I follow faithfully and read. McCarthy is one of them, and, in fact, THE ROAD is my favorite book of all time, bar none...to my mind, it is one of those rare novels wherein the words on the page come together to fashion a work of art.

    Now, McCarthy has never authorized a signed/limited of THE ROAD, as he has with some of his other books, and in fact refuses to sign copies. There was a UK 1st HC that that had a very limited number of publisher's bookplate tipped in, but those are the only legitimate signed copies out there. McCarthy has signed (and, I think I recall, numbered) 1,250 1st U.S. HCs, but those copies are being held at his residence for his son (for whom he wrote the book) to sell when the boy turns 18 (I think he's in his mid teens now...?) or whenever the son chooses beyond that point. McCarthy's deliberate refusal to sign other copies of his Pulitzer-Prize winning book guarantees this stash will create a nice nest-egg for his son when that time comes.

    But enough of THE ROAD. On to my weekend's Grail.

    McCarthy has created a number of other fine novels that I think most dark fiction fans would enjoy, perhaps most especially BLOOD MERIDIAN and NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN. McCarthy was a little more liberal in signing copies 1st HCs of NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN that some of his other works, so they are out there, but of course they still go for a pretty penny, due to the relative scarcity and McCarthy's popularity (which only seems to grow). There was also a slipcased S/L of NO COUNTRY, but signed trade HCs continue to be offered and sold at $500 to $800.

    A local bookstore was having a 40% off sale, and I knew they had the following book...I'd watched it for a few years now, lusting after it like no other book in my area but knowing its champagne pricing was way beyond my beer budget. I did note that they had lowered the price about a year ago from the high end of the spectrum to the lower end, though that still failed to sell it to the local audience, and it was still beyond my budget. However, when this 40% off sale was announced, the last vestiage of restraint that I had crumbled, and though I wandered the store for a couple hours and mulled it over while I was looking at the rest of the stock, I knew deep down the dye was cast.

    And so, I came away with this:



    Here is the signed page:



    One of the things that finally pushed me over the edge -- something I didn't even know the book had until I asked the personnel this weekend to examine the book (rather than lust after it through glass as I'd done for years) was a previous owner's postcard from 2005 that established authenticity and provenance; it was a surprise and delight to find this within. Stephen King isn't the only author whose sig is forged to defraud, so one has to be careful...this card laid to rest any such concerns I may have had. I tell you, though, I sure wish I'd been able to get it for the $24.95 that the previous owner did.



    So, in short, I've very pleased and excited to finally have a signed copy of a book from one of my favorite authors, and while it is not THE ROAD, it is probably my second favorite book by him. If you've only seen the movie and not read the book, I'd recommend reading the source novel. The film is a fine and well-done adaption, but as is often the case, the book is even better.
    Twitter: https://twitter.com/ron_clinton

    Comment


      Great info, Ron, and congrats on the find! Nice to hear you loved THE ROAD so much. I've been meaning to get to it for a long while but should obviously prioritize it.
      “Reality is a nice place to visit, but you wouldn’t want to live there.”
      -John Barth

      https://bugensbooks.com/

      Comment


        Congrats, Ron! And I completely agree--THE ROAD is the best book I've ever read.

        Comment


          Originally posted by RonClinton View Post
          Came away this weekend with a Holy Grail and am excited to share my good news.

          I've been a Cormac McCarthy fan for quite some time. In general, I'm a genre hound, and have only half a dozen or so Literary authors whose work I follow faithfully and read. McCarthy is one of them, and, in fact, THE ROAD is my favorite book of all time, bar none...to my mind, it is one of those rare novels wherein the words on the page come together to fashion a work of art.

          Now, McCarthy has never authorized a signed/limited of THE ROAD, as he has with some of his other books, and in fact refuses to sign copies. There was a UK 1st HC that that had a very limited number of publisher's bookplate tipped in, but those are the only legitimate signed copies out there. McCarthy has signed (and, I think I recall, numbered) 1,250 1st U.S. HCs, but those copies are being held at his residence for his son (for whom he wrote the book) to sell when the boy turns 18 (I think he's in his mid teens now...?) or whenever the son chooses beyond that point. McCarthy's deliberate refusal to sign other copies of his Pulitzer-Prize winning book guarantees this stash will create a nice nest-egg for his son when that time comes.

          But enough of THE ROAD. On to my weekend's Grail.

          McCarthy has created a number of other fine novels that I think most dark fiction fans would enjoy, perhaps most especially BLOOD MERIDIAN and NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN. McCarthy was a little more liberal in signing copies 1st HCs of NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN that some of his other works, so they are out there, but of course they still go for a pretty penny, due to the relative scarcity and McCarthy's popularity (which only seems to grow). There was also a slipcased S/L of NO COUNTRY, but signed trade HCs continue to be offered and sold at $500 to $800.

          A local bookstore was having a 40% off sale, and I knew they had the following book...I'd watched it for a few years now, lusting after it like no other book in my area but knowing its champagne pricing was way beyond my beer budget. I did note that they had lowered the price about a year ago from the high end of the spectrum to the lower end, though that still failed to sell it to the local audience, and it was still beyond my budget. However, when this 40% off sale was announced, the last vestiage of restraint that I had crumbled, and though I wandered the store for a couple hours and mulled it over while I was looking at the rest of the stock, I knew deep down the dye was cast.

          And so, I came away with this:



          Here is the signed page:



          One of the things that finally pushed me over the edge -- something I didn't even know the book had until I asked the personnel this weekend to examine the book (rather than lust after it through glass as I'd done for years) was a previous owner's postcard from 2005 that established authenticity and provenance; it was a surprise and delight to find this within. Stephen King isn't the only author whose sig is forged to defraud, so one has to be careful...this card laid to rest any such concerns I may have had. I tell you, though, I sure wish I'd been able to get it for the $24.95 that the previous owner did.



          So, in short, I've very pleased and excited to finally have a signed copy of a book from one of my favorite authors, and while it is not THE ROAD, it is probably my second favorite book by him. If you've only seen the movie and not read the book, I'd recommend reading the source novel. The film is a fine and well-done adaption, but as is often the case, the book is even better.
          Nice pickup!

          Comment


            Thanks, guys -- still can't quite believe that I finally have this book in my collection, but am enjoying every minute of coming to terms with it.
            Twitter: https://twitter.com/ron_clinton

            Comment


              Outstanding Ron!

              I read The Road earlier this year and had quite enjoyed it.

              Comment


                Originally posted by bugen View Post
                Great info, Ron, and congrats on the find! Nice to hear you loved THE ROAD so much. I've been meaning to get to it for a long while but should obviously prioritize it.
                I'd obviously encourage you to do so...I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I think being a parent helps become immeasurably immersed in its horror , but it certainly isn't a necessity.

                THE ROAD is a love letter to the institution of fatherhood, an instruction book on what it means to be a father. The reason this book resonated so strongly with so many people -- myself included -- is not because it was a fresh take on apocalyptic fiction, but rather that the father and son and their relationship were captured so perfectly and beautifully that their struggle became the readers' struggle, their love framed in the love we have for our own children. Unnamed, they became every father, every son/child. They represented the most precious thing imaginable -- the love of a child, the love and trust of a parent -- in the worst setting possible. THE ROAD was a brilliant, breathless work of fiction, and was, at its core, unique, unlike any apocalyptic work before or since.

                “Then they set out along the blacktop in the gunmetal light, shuffling through the ash, each the other's world entire.”
                ― Cormac McCarthy, The Road
                Last edited by RonClinton; 11-07-2017, 07:04 AM.
                Twitter: https://twitter.com/ron_clinton

                Comment


                  Congrats, Ron!

                  Comment


                    Great find and patience Ron! I think we all know that churning feeling when that book we want is just out of reach, especially a gem like this. I know it will be a valued treasure in your collection for years to come!

                    Comment


                      Big fan of Weird Westerns, missed these when they came out, been on the lookout ever since. I found all four of Thunderstorm's Douglas Western series from 2 different sellers on ebay. I also picked up Dust Devils Jonathan Janz, paperback and the Thunderstorm edition.

                      Grim Riders11072017070939.jpg7 buried Hill11072017071202.jpg
                      Dust Devils11072017073213.jpg
                      Last edited by mhatchett; 11-07-2017, 12:35 PM.

                      Comment


                        Originally posted by RonClinton View Post
                        I'd obviously encourage you to do so...I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I think being a parent helps become immeasurably immersed in its horror , but it certainly isn't a necessity.

                        THE ROAD is a love letter to the institution of fatherhood, an instruction book on what it means to be a father. The reason this book resonated so strongly with so many people -- myself included -- is not because it was a fresh take on apocalyptic fiction, but rather that the father and son and their relationship were captured so perfectly and beautifully that their struggle became the readers' struggle, their love framed in the love we have for our own children. Unnamed, they became every father, every son/child. They represented the most precious thing imaginable -- the love of a child, the love and trust of a parent -- in the worst setting possible. THE ROAD was a brilliant, breathless work of fiction, and was, at its core, unique, unlike any apocalyptic work before or since.

                        “Then they set out along the blacktop in the gunmetal light, shuffling through the ash, each the other's world entire.”
                        ― Cormac McCarthy, The Road
                        We're carrying the fire, Ron. Keep carrying the fire.

                        Comment


                          Originally posted by jeffingoff View Post
                          We're carrying the fire, Ron. Keep carrying the fire.
                          Twitter: https://twitter.com/ron_clinton

                          Comment


                            Congrats, Ron! And that’s a great book-buying story. I have obtained a couple of holy grail books like that in the past couple years which have been out of reach until a discount situation arose and they’ve been absolutely worth whatever budget stretching it took to make it work.

                            Comment


                              Thanks again, guys. Sure, it's only been a few days, but contrary to B. B. King's lament, the thrill *isn't* gone.
                              Twitter: https://twitter.com/ron_clinton

                              Comment


                                Picked up a couple books from the recent Subterranean Press scratch-and-ding sale:



                                The Spencer is a S/L, the Haldeman a trade edition. Both are in excellent condition.
                                Twitter: https://twitter.com/ron_clinton

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