Is this copy of Babbitt a book club edition?

Discussion in 'Books' started by Lynnie, Aug 31, 2024.

  1. Lynnie

    Lynnie Active Member

    I don't want to list this until I can do so correctly. Is this Babbitt a book club edition? There's no dust jacket, and the book itself seems to be well made. I've never seen gray cloth boards for this, either.

    TIA.

    Lynnie basbbitt1.jpg
     

    Attached Files:

  2. Debora

    Debora Well-Known Member

    No publication date? Don't want to be Debora Downer but... Given condition of boards, lack of dust jacket... Your volume is unlikely to have any resale value.

    If you're not familiar with them, here are two specialized resources for determining used book values.

    https://www.biblio.com/

    https://www.abebooks.com/

    Debora
     
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  3. Lynnie

    Lynnie Active Member

    I apologize for not giving the publication date. It's 1922, Harcourt, Brace and Co.
     
  4. Debora

    Debora Well-Known Member

    Is 1922 the publication date or the copyright date? I ask because you don't have a copy of the 1922 first edition which had dark blue boards imprinted with orange.

    Debora
     
  5. Bronwen

    Bronwen Well-Known Member

    It's from the series Harcourt Brace Modern Classics, so publication was long enough after the original for Babbit to have become a modern classic.
     
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  6. Figtree3

    Figtree3 What would you do if you weren't afraid?

    The HBMC on the cover and title page stands for Harcourt Brace Modern Classics. These were re-issues by HB. According to this bookseller description, the copyright on Babbitt was renewed in 1950, and they estimate the HBMC version came out then. I have not attempted to verify this.
    https://www.gargoylebooks.net/product/8174/Babbitt

    I notice the cover on yours is different from the cover in that post, but they could have issued the HBMC version more than once.
     
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  7. Figtree3

    Figtree3 What would you do if you weren't afraid?

    Oops! We cross-posted!
     
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  8. Debora

    Debora Well-Known Member

    Thank you, both. I wasn't familiar with Harcourt Brace Modern Classics. This volume would be considered a "reading copy" then.

    Debora
     
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  9. moreotherstuff

    moreotherstuff Izorizent

    We had to read Babbitt in high school. It's about a middle aged man having a mid-life crisis. Who would imagine that was a book to assign to teenagers?
     
  10. Bronwen

    Bronwen Well-Known Member

    I'm quite chuffed to have my post seconded by your esteemed self. :)
     
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  11. Figtree3

    Figtree3 What would you do if you weren't afraid?

    :):hilarious:
     
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  12. Lynnie

    Lynnie Active Member

    Thank you all for your expertise.
     
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  13. bluumz

    bluumz Quite Busy

    Harbrace Modern Classics, 1950.

    thriftbooks dot com:
    Screenshot (168).png
     
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  14. Figtree3

    Figtree3 What would you do if you weren't afraid?

    Noted! I didn't notice that it says that right on the spine of the OP's.
     
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