YOU SHALL KNOW OUR VELOCITY: THE FIRST HARDCOVER TRADE EDITION

New York City, NY: McSweeney's, 2002. First Edition. First Printing.. Hardcover. Fine/No Dust Jacket, As Issued.. New York City, NY: McSweeney's, 2002. Hardcover. Fine/None, As Issued. First Edition/First Printing. 371 pages. The author's debut novel. Now considered a contemporary classic. The First Hardcover Trade Edition. Precedes and should not be confused with all other subsequent editions. Published in a small and limited first print run as a hardcover original only, simultaneously with the so-called Limited Edition. The First Trade Edition is now scarce. The book is brilliantly produced: Hard boards with the opening paragraph of the novel on the cover, handsome black cloth overboards, and titles embossed on the spine, as issued. Text by Dave Eggers. Printed on archival stock paper by Oddi Iceland to the highest standards. Without DJ, as issued. Presents, in its First Trade Edition format, Dave Eggers' "You Shall Know Our Velocity". Excerpted in The New Yorker Magazine, in many ways, a further exploration of the themes of his breakthrough memoir, "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" (2000). Eggers' ears are keenly attuned to the malaise as well as the redemptive possibilities of contemporary life. Two "editions" of the novel were published simultaneously, in the exact same format, except that one had the indication, "First Edition", the other did not. Which was a mischievous dig at book collectors' neurotic fixation with "true firsts". Then, as if he had not caused enough confusion and frustration, Eggers subsequently published another version of the novel that he called "Sacrament" (2003), from the point-of-view of the other leading character, and lavishly illustrated it with photographs. Were it not for the fact that he is - and somehow endures as - one of the most interesting voices in contemporary American literature, none of this would be worth the trouble. An absolute "must-have" title for Dave Eggers collectors. This copy is very boldly and beautifully signed, dated (in the year of publication), and inscribed in black pen-marker on the Back Copyright Page by the author: "Good of you to come. Here is a boat: [impressive drawing of a boat], Dave Eggers 10/26/02". It is signed directly on the book itself, not on a tipped-in page. The recipient, who is named, is known personally to the author and cannot be named here. This title is a contemporary classic. This is one of few such signed, publication-year dated, and inscribed copies (with Original Drawing) of the First Hardcover Trade Edition/First Printing still available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. Please note: Copies available online have serious flaws (because there is no DJ) or are in subsequent printings. This is surely an accessible and lovely alternative. A scarce signed copy thus. One of the most brilliant American writers of our time. A fine copy. (SEE ALSO OTHER DAVE EGGERS TITLES IN OUR CATALOG). ISBN 0970335555.