Toni Morrison. First edition, second printing before publication. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1998. Both unclipped dust jacket and hardcover are in Very Good+ condition. Dust jacket designed by the great Carol Devine Carson. No writing or markings found in the book, 318 pp.
A scarce early printing of Toni Morrison’s acclaimed novel Paradise, marked as a “second printing before publication”—a unique state often reserved for promotional distribution to booksellers and reviewers before the official release date. Bound in deep burgundy boards with gilt spine lettering, the book remains clean and tight, with no writing or remainder marks. The unclipped dust jacket is bright and crisp, showing only minimal shelf wear.
Paradise—Morrison’s first novel after winning the Nobel Prize in Literature—explores the complex dynamics of an all-Black town in Oklahoma, confronting themes of race, gender, community, and violence. The novel’s powerful, lyrical prose cements Morrison’s place among America’s greatest writers.
