Beautiful Losers 1st Edition (for dick maybe)

anhaga · Post by **anhaga** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 10:33 pm

Hey, fine folks. I'm looking to finish my collection of LC first editions, and I would like to know which is the real first edition of BL, the McLelland and Stewart (which is what I would expect) or the American Viking edition? I have always found conflicing information in books and from collectors (many of whom claim the American edition precedes the Candaian--but perhaps only to sell more American editions!), and would like to know the correct first edition before purchasing. Thank you very much.

anhaga · Post by **anhaga** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 7:42 pm

Ok. I guess from the lack of response no one else knows either. Thanks anyway.

Post by **jarkko** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 10:02 pm

Dick, you have both editions. Any idea?

dick · Post by **dick** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 11:52 pm

Sorry for delay... Thanksgiving and NYC and all....

I am reasonably sure that the Viking is the true first. It is listed before M&S in Bruce Whiteman's annotated bibliography. On the title page, it reads ... "first published in 1966 by Viking, New York." The M&S book just shows 1966, M&S, Toronto.

The rare book catalog from my seller showed M&S first, then Viking as the "first American edition." But my trust for accuracy would go to Whitemen. Will post again if something else comes up, but that seems pretty definitive to me. No months of publication are shown in either book.

I also have an advance soft cover reader copy (from M&S) that could well precede both of those

And that one has a drawing next to Leonard's signature "for Dorothy." Leonard does not recall who that may have been.

anhaga · Post by **anhaga** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 12:34 am

Thank you very much. That is helpful information.

dick · Post by **dick** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 2:23 am

After making my post, I copied it to Inno Dubelaar in Toronto.. a very reilable dealer in old and first edition books --- who does a lot of Cohen volumes...

He responded

On BL, I agree with your rationale and have heard this
view from "reputable" sources in the past. That is how I catalogue the two
editions.

So... viking 1, M&S 2 confirmed again

dick

tomsakic · Post by **tomsakic** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 11:37 am

Yeah, I heard that also from few sources. I think that it was mater of weeks: Jack McClelland launched the book at big gala party in Toronto on March 29, 1966, a month before the official publication date in Canada. Nadel's biography mentions only that Viking's editor Cork Smith was very important person in making of the book. He was also involved in US publication of The Favourite Game in 1963 (McClelland didn't publish it until 1970). Nadel doesn't mention the true first edition, he actually treats M&S edition as the first one (while Viking edition of "The Favorite Game" treats like first edition of The Favourite Game). So I guess that the question of true first edition of Beautiful Losers is - unlike that of Favourite Game - only the question for bibliophiles. (Nadel also writes much that Cohen personally overviewd the design and cover text of M&S edition, and quotes much correspondence between Cohen and McClelland, while doesn't mention Viking at all.) - I myself am currently (with help of AbeBooks) replacing my books woth M&S editions because I prefer to have Leonard's original spelling instead of US's proof-readed "favorite", "color" etc.

It would be interesting, though, to find the release date of Viking's edition, since Canadian was so early in the year, in May 1966.

dick · Post by **dick** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 5:08 pm

Tom

FYI -- the true first for "Favourite Game" is Secker/Warburg - London. Precedes Viking according to Whiteman and what I've read.

Also - you don't seriously prefer all those M&S spelling errors do you?

Dick

tomsakic · Post by **tomsakic** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 6:24 pm

I was sure about Favorite Game's first edition is the London one also until today, but now, after six hours spent with Nadel's biography (well, I am obligated to finish my essay on G-Game until tomorow morning) I am not sure: he says on page 116 "...Cork Smith, his new editor at Viking, who had accepted The Favourite Game. In May [1963, because the paragraph starts with "By February of 1963 he was back in North America..."], when Viking received the corrected galleys of the book (it had been published in London in October)..." It was published, when, earlier October (1962?). But on page 89 he wrote "Secker & Warburg finally published the revised novel in September 1963." That means that Viking's edition was half year earlier. Last mention pf Viking edition is that Cohen returned the galleys to Smith in July and objected the jacket photo.

And yeah, I prefer that spelling errors:-) But it's nice to see that it all become equal until Book of Longing (no differences) ... and that Leonard, who once sang "Amen", shouts "Ey-man" on 1993's Democracy