J R J R J R | Three Books

J R by William Gaddis. 2020 trade paperback edition by NYRB. Cover design by Katy Homans. Introduction by Joy Williams (xi pages). 770 pages.

J R by William Gaddis. 1993 trade paperback edition by Penguin. Cover art is a detail of an Associated Gas and Electric Company stock certificate “Courtesy of William Gaddis.” No designer credited. Introduction by Frederick R. Karl (xxi pages). 726 pages.

J R by William Gaddis. 1975 trade paperback edition by Borzoi/Knopf. Cover design by Janet Halverson. 726 pages.

6 thoughts on “J R J R J R | Three Books”

  1. Will get bought because I need a new copy to dogear in new ways, where is the Gibbs/Rhoda duet in this one? Plus–to go w/my four other editions Incl Penguin sneakers, Penguin Warhol, Penguin stock, and Knopf/ Borzoi)–NYRB over Dalkey b/c rather would read Williams on Gaddis/JR than Moody on like, anything post Purple America. Just saying.

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  2. I’m usually a fan of the NYRB cover designs, but the plain one is a rare miss for them. I’d say the other two are still better than the Dalkey Archive version I have, though.

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  3. The new pagination just creates work for someone at the Gaddis Annotations. However, I trust NYRB to make a sturdier edition than Dalkey did (my Dalkey’s spine cracked in a hundred places, plus the margins were dogshit). I’ve also got that handsome Penguin 20thc Classics edition, by far the best. All hail JR JR JR

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