Books

New York: Random House, 1979. First Edition. McCarthy's semi-autobiographical fourth novel set in the early 1950's, following Cornelius Suttree, who has repudiated his life of privilege to spend his life as a fisherman on the Tennessee River. Though now widely considered one of McCarthy's most serious and ambitious works, drawing comparisons to Ulysses, Cannery Row, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, fewer than 3,000 copies of the first printing were sold at the time of publication prior to being remaindered. The recipients, John Leon Holley (1933-2015) and Lanelle Whitley Holley, were close friends of McCarthy's from Tennessee since the early 1960s. McCarthy had known John Holley since they were in their 20s, and he was there the night he proposed to Lanelle. During their first Christmas as a married couple in 1963, knowing McCarthy would be alone, they drove from North Carolina to Gatlinburg to pick him up. He lived with the Holley's for a time early on in his career, shared…

Published in 1979, 'Suttree' by Cormac McCarthy is a narrative that captures the life of Cornelius Suttree, a man who has parted from a life of affluence to exist on the margins of society along the Tennessee River. It is a detailed portrayal of Suttree's relationships, struggles, and observations of the denizens inhabiting the river's periphery. The novel is often described as a departure from McCarthy's earlier works, introducing elements of dark humor and a sprawling, descriptive style.

First edition copies of 'Suttree' can be identified by looking for the publisher's full number line that includes '1', the statement of 'First Edition', along with the specific ISBN and potentially the original dust jacket design.