To Kill a Mockingbird - More than one BCE?

[Francis A. Miniter]

Six years ago, Jeff Armstrong posted the following list of points of comparison
for a regular edition and a BCE.

"I have a copy of the first edition and one of the BC's as well. I would be
glad to give you as much as I can, but I'm afraid I have no idea what
"detentions" are ... help me out.

"Please forgive me if I don't use all the proper terminology as I'm still
learning ...

"FE = First Edition
BC = Book Club (I can only describe the one I have, I'm sure there are
others)

"The Cover:
FE: brown boards with green cloth spine overlapping 1 1/2" front and
back covers (half bound?)
BC: Putty boards with black overlapping binding

"Printing on Spine: (no printing on front or back covers for either)
FE: Difficult to tell with the printing being on the green cloth but it
appears to be Brown
BC: White

"Dimensions: (is that what you meant?)
FE: 8 3/16 x 5 1/2 x 1 1/4
BC: 8 1/2 x 5 7/8 x 13/16

"Copyright page:
FE: COPYRIGHT (SYMBOL) 1960 BY HARPER LEE / PRINTED IN THE UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA / LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOG CARD NUMBER 60-7847
/ FIRST EDITION

BC: COPYRIGHT (SYMBOL) 1960 BY HARPER LEE / PRINTED IN THE UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA

"Pages:
FE: 296
BC: 255

"Dust Jackets:
Outside jackets are identical except for the dimensions.
FE: Blurb at the top of the front flap is green, price on lower right
corner is $3.95
BC: Blurb is black, where price should be it states BOOK CLUB / EDITION

FE: Back Flap bottom states: J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY / Philadelphia
New York
BC: Back Flap bottom states: Printed in the U.S.A. "


I have a friend who has a copy that is green cloth (faded to light blue) on
taupe boards, 296 pages, 8.25" high, taupe printing on spine, states
"twentythird impression" on copyright page, and yet has an indentation on the
back cover. To make matters worse, the dust jacket says "tenth printing". Is
this a book club edition? And if so, which BCE came first, the one just
described or the one described by Jeff Armstrong?


Francis A. Miniter

[Jon Meyers]

"Francis A. Miniter" wrote...

Post by Francis A. Miniter
I have a friend who has a copy that is green cloth (faded to light blue) on
taupe boards, 296 pages, 8.25" high, taupe printing on spine, states
"twentythird impression" on copyright page, and yet has an indentation on the
back cover. To make matters worse, the dust jacket says "tenth printing".

Is

Post by Francis A. Miniter
this a book club edition? And if so, which BCE came first, the one just
described or the one described by Jeff Armstrong?

TKaM has undoubtedly been issued by more than one book club--BOMC and
Literary Guild, almost certainly, and perhaps others. And it has also gone
through many BC printings--you can probably still get one as an Alternate
Selection or whatever it's called when you don't by the main BOM. Different
clubs would have different versions, and there could be differences from
printing to printing.

As for priority among BCEs, I couldn't say. The only BC version of TKaM
that has any interest as other than as a reading copy is the very earliest
one, with the Truman Capote photo of the author on the back panel of the dj.

[Francis A. Miniter]

Post by Jon Meyers
"Francis A. Miniter" wrote...

Post by Francis A. Miniter
I have a friend who has a copy that is green cloth (faded to light blue)

on

Post by Francis A. Miniter
taupe boards, 296 pages, 8.25" high, taupe printing on spine, states
"twentythird impression" on copyright page, and yet has an indentation on

the

Post by Francis A. Miniter
back cover. To make matters worse, the dust jacket says "tenth printing".

Is

Post by Francis A. Miniter
this a book club edition? And if so, which BCE came first, the one just
described or the one described by Jeff Armstrong?

TKaM has undoubtedly been issued by more than one book club--BOMC and
Literary Guild, almost certainly, and perhaps others. And it has also gone
through many BC printings--you can probably still get one as an Alternate
Selection or whatever it's called when you don't by the main BOM. Different
clubs would have different versions, and there could be differences from
printing to printing.
As for priority among BCEs, I couldn't say. The only BC version of TKaM
that has any interest as other than as a reading copy is the very earliest
one, with the Truman Capote photo of the author on the back panel of the dj.

...

Hi Jon,

I know about that one. I have a copy myself with dust jacket. It is
255 pages, 8.5 inches high, has black quarter cloth, etc. What my
friend has seems to be a regular (23rd I think) printing run of the
regular first edition, 296 pages, 8.25 inches high, but which also has
an indentation in the back cover. What I want to know is this: were
any book club editions issued in the format of the original book?


Francis A. Miniter

[Francis A. Miniter]

Post by Francis A. Miniter

Post by Jon Meyers
"Francis A. Miniter" wrote...

Post by Francis A. Miniter
I have a friend who has a copy that is green cloth (faded to light blue)

on

Post by Francis A. Miniter
taupe boards, 296 pages, 8.25" high, taupe printing on spine, states
"twentythird impression" on copyright page, and yet has an
indentation on

the

Post by Francis A. Miniter
back cover. To make matters worse, the dust jacket says "tenth printing".

Is

Post by Francis A. Miniter
this a book club edition? And if so, which BCE came first, the one just
described or the one described by Jeff Armstrong?

TKaM has undoubtedly been issued by more than one book club--BOMC and
Literary Guild, almost certainly, and perhaps others. And it has also gone
through many BC printings--you can probably still get one as an Alternate
Selection or whatever it's called when you don't by the main BOM.
Different
clubs would have different versions, and there could be differences from
printing to printing.
As for priority among BCEs, I couldn't say. The only BC version of TKaM
that has any interest as other than as a reading copy is the very earliest
one, with the Truman Capote photo of the author on the back panel of the dj.

Hi Jon,
I know about that one. I have a copy myself with dust jacket. It is
255 pages, 8.5 inches high, has black quarter cloth, etc. What my
friend has seems to be a regular (23rd I think) printing run of the
regular first edition, 296 pages, 8.25 inches high, but which also has
an indentation in the back cover. What I want to know is this: were
any book club editions issued in the format of the original book?
Francis A. Miniter

...

Bit more information after seeing the book. The dot on the back cover
is taupe colored, just like the print on the spine. Other than the
presence of the dot, the book looks just like my 17th impression copy.
The dust jacket, which may not go with the book in any case, appears to
be a proper 8.25" cover (but could I suppose have been cut down from
8.5"), has a diagonal cut at the lower inside fold of the front cover
(where BCE designations are often found) , does not have a photograph on
the back, and the green-printed blurb on the upper inside of the dust
jacket front cover is not by Truman Capote.


Francis A. Miniter