Paul Newman's Copy

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell [Signed to Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward]

Clarke, Susanna

Notes: One of the best fantasy novels of the 21st century, a story of the reintroduction of magic into early 19th century England, told with considerable period style.

Adapted into a limited TV series. Winner of the Hugo Award, the World Fantasy Award, the Locus Award for best first novel, and several others.

782 pages.

Edition + Condition: First US edition (first printing, with a numberline ending in 1). This is not the best-looking copy. The price-clipped dust jacket got wet at some point and that caused the book's spine to wrinkle; there are also red stains in the gutter of the first few leaves from the bleeding of the red endpapers.

But this copy came from the library of the actors Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman and how cool is that? The book is inscribed, "To Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. Susanna Clarke."

You will likely be asking how I ended up with it. Fair question. Woodward and Newman's daughter lives in Portland; she's an enthusiastic reader and regularly gives books to friends and charity. This copy went to a friend, the friend died, and I acquired it from a bookseller who bought it from the friend's daughter.

Publication: New York: Bloomsbury, 2004.

Item No: #298556

Price: $500