SIGNED BY WILLIAM FAULKNER: SIGNED LIMITED FIRST EDITION OF THESE 13, ONE OF ONLY 299 COPIES, FAULKNER’S FIRST COLLECTION OF STORIES

FAULKNER, William. These 13. New York: Jonathan Cape & Harrison Smith, (1931). Octavo, original red and beige cloth, top edge silver, uncut. Housed in a custom clamshell box. $5500.

Signed limited first edition of the first collection of Faulkner’s stories, number 255 of only 299 copies signed by him, featuring the evocative “A Rose for Emily,” and “That Evening Sun”—“perhaps the most perfect story in the collection” (New York Times).

Appearing two years after The Sound and the Fury, Faulkner's These 13 was issued on September 13, 1931 while he was immersed in the novel Light in August. These 13 won early praise as a collection of stories that "are, for the most part, Faulkner novels in miniature," with A Rose For Emily highlighted as "one of the strongest" tales, and That Evening Sun as "perhaps the most perfect story in the collection." Faulkner is "the latest star in the American literary firmament… This collection of his short stories in unreservedly recommended" (New York Times). Of the 13 stories, seven appeared here for the first time: "Victory," "All the Dead Pilots," "Crevasse," "A Justice," "Mistral," "Divorce in Naples," and "Carcassonne." "It is highly likely that the limited issue precedes the trade issue because the page numbers in the limited issue are italicized and enclosed in brackets, while the brackets are removed and the type is Roman in three successive printings of the trade issue" (Petersen A9.1). Without scarce and fragile original tissue dust jacket, as almost always; as issued without slipcase. Bruccoli & Clark I:122.

Just a bit of toning and tiniest nick at spine head only. An about-fine signed copy.