Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
Cain, James M.. Serenade. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 1937.
Price: US$9.72 + shipping
Condition: Fair
Description: 1937 hardcover stated 1st edition. Slight tilt & chipping on top and bottom of spine, fraying at edges of cover, corners bumped, separation on 2nd page in ,stain on back ep, light tanning, else text clean, binding tight.
Seller: Dave's Books, Brooklyn, NY, U.S.A.
Cain, James M.. SERENADE. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$15.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: [viii], [316]pp [joint lightly exposed inside front flyleaf; spine lightly cocked; mild soiling and wear to covers] Size: 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall
Seller: David H. Gerber Books (gerberbooks), Austin, TX, U.S.A.
Cain, James M.. SERENADE. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$22.50 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: A clean copy of the First edition. No jacket.
Seller: Gerry Kleier Rare Books, Martinez, CA, U.S.A.
Cain, James. Serenade. Alfred A Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$22.50 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: 314 pp. Bright and clean, no fading, points of fraying at corners, hinges tight, previous owner's signature.
Seller: Arroyo Seco Books, Pasadena, Member IOBA, Pasadena, CA, U.S.A.
CAIN, JAMES M. Serenade. New York Knopf 1937, 1937.
Price: US$25.00 + shipping
Description: First Edition. AuthorÕs second novel. Near fine copy with a trace of rubbing to the cloth at the spine and with silver stamping still gleaming without dust jacket.
Seller: James Pepper Rare Books, Inc., ABAA, Santa Barbara, CA, U.S.A.
CAIN, James M.. Serenade. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$30.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: First edition. Rubber ownership stamp on the front fly and the top and bottom edges, corners and ends of the spine worn, else very good without dustjacket.
Seller: Between the Covers-Rare Books, Inc. ABAA, Gloucester City, NJ, U.S.A.
James M. Cain. Serenade. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$40.00 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: Silver Lettering On Black Cloth. Binding A Bit Cocked But Still Quite Good. No Dust Jacket. Text Is Nice And Black. Composed On The Linotype In Bodoni. Designed By W.A. Dwiggins. Book Was Printed And Bound By The Plimpton Press, Norwood, Mass. The Paper Was Made By S.D Warren. Serenade Is The Story Of The Eternal Triangle - With A Difference. John Howard Sharp Is An American Opera Singer Down On His Luck, Having Just Bombed In Rigoletto In Mexico City When He First Encounters The Beautiful Mexican-Indian Prostitute Called Juana. Miraculously, She Offers Him The Chance To Rebuild His Career In Hollywood And New York But Then Winston Hawes, The Young, Rich And Well-Connected Conductor Who Had First Launched Sharp, Comes Back Into His Life With Terrible Consequences.
Seller: Brookfield Books, Red Wing, MN, U.S.A.
Cain, James M.. Serenade. Alfred a Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$40.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: 1937 Knopf FIRST EDITION of one of the masters of mystery! This book is in VERY GOOD condition. Clean black cloth with very bright silver writing and designs on the cover and spine. Only the most minor wear on the bottom edges. A Clean, tight copy. A great copy for a COLLECTOR! Made into 1956 film starring Mario Lanza and Joan Fontaine. **Brenbooks specializes in first edition books made into movies. See inventory for selection.
Seller: Bren-Books, Rockville, MD, U.S.A.
CAIN, James M.. Serenade. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$40.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: First edition. Attractive bookplate on front pastedown, else very near fine lacking the dustwrapper.
Seller: Between the Covers-Rare Books, Inc. ABAA, Gloucester City, NJ, U.S.A.
Cain, James M.. Serenade. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$42.90 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: 12mo, 314 pp. Black cloth with silver lettering and decoration, designed by W. A. Dwiggins. Spine cocked, head and heel of spine and corners of boards bumped, page edges tanned, light foxing to front endpapers, small scuff or sticker scar to front free endpaper.
Seller: Anthology Booksellers, Portland, OR, U.S.A.
James M. Cain. SERENADE. NY: Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$45.00 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: 5 1/4 x 7 1/2 in. 314 pgs. Black cloth boards with silver patterning and title, silver lettering and Mayan motifs on spine. Condition is GOOD+ ; corners and ends of spine worn and bumped, top of spine is threadbare. Not much edge wear, covers clean and spine only slightly faded. Binding tight, text very clean, one red pencilled number on front pastedown. A great tale from the prince of noir. Fiction. RGR.
Seller: Andre Strong Bookseller, Blue Hill, ME, U.S.A.
Cain, James M.. Serenade. Alfred A Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$50.00 + shipping
Description: First edition. Title page vignette by W.A. Dwiggins. 314, [2] pp. 1 vols. 8vo. Black cloth, silver gilt decoration by Dwiggins. Fine, without dust jacket Title page vignette by W.A. Dwiggins. 314, [2] pp. 1 vols. 8vo
Seller: The Old Mill Bookshop, HACKETTSTOWN, NJ, U.S.A.
Cain, James M.. SERENADE. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$51.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: Light chipping to spine ends. Boards with light rubbing to extremities. Spine slightly cocked. ; Stated first edition; 8vo 8" - 9" tall; 314 pages
Seller: Complete Traveller Antiquarian Bookstore, Westport, CT, U.S.A.
Cain, James M.. Serenade. Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$59.27 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: First printing. Slight spine slant, otherwise a VG copy in a fair only dust jacket with the price of $2.50 intact on the front flap. Basis for the 1957 film "Interlude" directed by Douglas Sirk and starring June Allyson, Rossano Brazzi and Marianne Koch.
Seller: AcornBooksNH, New Harbor, ME, U.S.A.
CAIN, James M.. Serenade. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$60.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: First edition. Front endpapers partially toned, light rubbing at extremities of the boards else near fine lacking the dust jacket.
Seller: Between the Covers-Rare Books, Inc. ABAA, Gloucester City, NJ, U.S.A.
James M. Cain. Serenade. Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$75.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: First printing of the first edition. This book was once part of a commercial lending library as indicated by stamp indicating this on the front paste down and a almost invisible remnants of a stamp to the bottom of the page edges. No other stamps, pockets, etc to the book. The dust jacket has been backed with heavier stock (making it very stable but preventing it removal to install a dust jacket protector) and glued book. Certainly flawed, but overall appearance and the condition of the book is very gook (both book and dust jacket) in my opinion. Photos upon request. LR
Seller: J. F. Whyland Books, Jeffersonville, IN, U.S.A.
Cain, James M.. SERENADE. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$85.00 + shipping
Description: Cain, James M. SERENADE 5 1/4 x 7 3/4 in. 314 pgs. First Edition. Bright black cloth boards with silver decoration and lettering on cover and spine. Best known for his crime fiction "THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE", this novel continues in the same dark and exotic genre mixed with intrigue and opera. One of his finest books.
Seller: TBCL The Book Collector's Library, Montreal, QC, Canada
CAIN, JAMES M.. SERENADE. Alfred A. Knopf, NEW YORK, 1937.
Price: US$90.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: Attractive copy in black boards with Dwiggins-designed vivid silver gilt lettering and decoration. Book is internally unmarked and covered in a partial facsimile jacket, missing the rear panel and the flaps. Crisp and clean.
Seller: MARIE BOTTINI, BOOKSELLER, Cotati, CA, U.S.A.
Cain, James M.. Serenade. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$90.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: Decorated black cloth with art deco-style title on front cover and unusual Mexican Indian-style decoration on spine, with Knopf's name in cursive (see picture). This was Cain's third book, after Our Government (Knopf:1930) and The Postman Always Rings Twice (Knopf:1934). Set in Los Angeles, this suspense novel featured a Mexican-Indian prostitute, an opera singer and a musicologist. Cain later adapted the novel for the movie, Serenade (1956), which was loosely based on his original work, and starred Mario Lanza, as the humble vineyard worker who becomes a famous opera star. Also starring were Joan Fontaine, Sarita Montiel, Vincent Price, Joseph Calleia, and Harry Bellaver. Wear at top of spine, light wear to bottom, endpapers foxed, boards a bit skewed. Very good in cloth.
Seller: Rose's Books IOBA, Harwich Port, MA, U.S.A.
Cain, James M.. SERENADE. Alfred A. Knopf, 1937.
Price: US$123.04 + shipping
Condition: New
Description: New. In shrink wrap. Looks like an interesting title! 0.75
Seller: BennettBooksLtd, North Las Vegas, NV, U.S.A.
James M. Cain. SERENADE. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$125.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: 5 1/4 x 7 3/4 in. 314 pgs. First edition, stated second printing, December 1937. Black cloth boards with silver device and lettering on cover and spine. Dwiggens block print title pg. Condition of book is VERY GOOD ; corners slightly bumped, slight wear to ends of spine. Covers very clean and fresh, binding solid, text excellent. DJ condition is FAIR ; not price-clipped ($2.50) many closed tears with chipping to edges, small open tears to bottom cover, half of spine (lower) missing, two small open tears back top. Spine faded, covers pretty fresh and bright though. In new Mylar wrapper. Fiction. RGR.
Seller: Andre Strong Bookseller, Blue Hill, ME, U.S.A.
Cain, James M.. Serenade. Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$150.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: A very good first edition (so stated on the copyright page) in a good dust jacket with original price of $2.50 still present on top of front flap, small repaired chip at top of dj spine. This is the red and purple version of the dramatic dust jacket design.
Seller: Bookbid, Beverly Hills, CA, U.S.A.
CAIN, James M.. Serenade. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$150.00 + shipping
Description: First Edition. W. A. Dwiggins dustjacket design. Novel of Hollywood, New York, and Mexico. Very Good plus with long gift inscription partly erased and slight cocking in Very Good plus price clipped dustjacket with shallow chipping to spine ends, darkening to spine and rear panel, splitting along lower rear spine edge, and light chipping to lower front panel.
Seller: Babylon Revisited Rare Books, Northampton, MA, U.S.A.
CAIN, James M.. Serenade. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$150.00 + shipping
Description: First Edition. W. A. Dwiggins dustjacket design. Novel of Hollywood, New York, and Mexico of a man who dreams of becoming a singer. Basis for the 1956 Anthony Mann directed film starring Mario Lanza and Joan Fontaine. Very Good, mild cocking, some wear to spine end and cover corner cloth, in near Very Good modestly soiled or darkened dustjacket, some shallow edge chips, few drip spots to verso.
Seller: Babylon Revisited Rare Books, Northampton, MA, U.S.A.
Cain, James M.. Serenade. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$220.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: 8vo. [7], 3-314, [6] pp. Black cloth with silver lettering and decorations on the front board and spine, red topstain. Ahearn APG 004a. Cain's second novel. A Near Fine book in a Good price-clipped dust jacket with traces of chipping, moderate discoloration to the flaps, and fading to the spine panel.
Seller: Evening Star Books, ABAA/ILAB, Madison, WI, U.S.A.
James M. Cain. Serenade. Knopf, 1937.
Price: US$225.00 + shipping
Condition: New
Description: A clean, fairly tight, square book with age toned pages on the front text block. The dust jacket is moderately edge worn with one, one inch closed tear and one, one inch open tear. First Edition.
Seller: Bartleby's Books, Wilmington, VT, U.S.A.
CAIN, JAMES M.. Serenade. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1937, 1937.
Price: US$225.00 + shipping
Description: First Edition of Cain's second published novel. A very good copy with publisher Knopf's 'Hovel' bookplate, designed by Rockwell Kent. All books described as first editions are first printings unless otherwise noted.
Seller: Peter L. Stern & Co., Inc, Newton, MA, U.S.A.
CAIN, James M.. Serenade.. Alfred A, Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$250.00 + shipping
Description: 314 pp. 8vo, publisher's cloth in dust jacket. First edition. Slightly cocked; else a nice copy in an attractive jacket with some light chipping to the crown of the spine and a few tiny spots.
Seller: Jeffrey H. Marks, Rare Books, ABAA, Rochester, NY, U.S.A.
CAIN, James M.. Serenade. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$250.00 + shipping
Description: First Edition. W. A. Dwiggins dustjacket design. Novel of Hollywood, New York, and Mexico. Very Good, lower spine end bumped, private library impression at front free endpaper, in Very Good purple variant dustjacket, chipping at spine ends and lower front flap edge.
Seller: Babylon Revisited Rare Books, Northampton, MA, U.S.A.
CAIN, James M.. Serenade. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$250.00 + shipping
Description: First Edition. W. A. Dwiggins dustjacket design. Novel of Hollywood, New York, and Mexico of a man who dreams of becoming a singer. Basis for the 1956 Anthony Mann directed film starring Mario Lanza and Joan Fontaine. Near Fine, mild shelf wear, in Very Good dustjacket, some shallow chipping at spine ends, nicks and wear at top rear panel and flap corners.
Seller: Babylon Revisited Rare Books, Northampton, MA, U.S.A.
Cain, James. Serenade. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$300.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: A fine example of the book and a very sharp and bright example of the striking dust jacket. Cain's follow-up to The Postman Always Rings Twice. Both binding and text block are rock solid, tight, clean, and unmarked, AAA all the way. The jacket has done its job well in protecting the book, but in the process has suffered some light edgewear but looks great in mylar Brodart, easily removeable if so desired.
Seller: Hirschfeld Galleries, Saint Louis, MO, U.S.A.
CAIN, James M.. Serenade. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$350.00 + shipping
Description: First Edition. W. A. Dwiggins dustjacket design. Novel of Hollywood, New York, and Mexico of a man who dreams of becoming a singer. Also listed in Anthony Slide's Lost Gay Novels. Basis for the 1956 Anthony Mann directed film starring Mario Lanza and Joan Fontaine. Almost Near Fine in Very Good plus attractive (but price-clipped) dustjacket.
Seller: Babylon Revisited Rare Books, Northampton, MA, U.S.A.
Cain, James M.. Serenade. By the author of the Postman Always rings Twice.. Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$350.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: Handsomely bound in black textured cloth stamped brightly in silver on the front boards and on the spine. Clean and tight throughout. High quality white paper. Apparently unread. With red topstaining and the hint of a spine slant. In the purple and green printed dustwrapper designed by W.A. Dwiggins. Heavy chipping and pieces missing at the top and bottom of the spine ends and at the corners. With the price of "$2.50 net" at the top of the inside front flap. Light soiling to the rear panel with some closed tears on the front panel with small pieces of tape on the verso at the top and bottom of the spine and the front panel. Four years after his sensational first novel, The Postman Always Rings Twice, Mr. Cain appears with a new one which definitely places him among the best story-tellers in America.It is an account of the lives of two men and one woman and of their relations with each other, which begins in a moment of tenseness and passion and moves forward with amazing speed, in the clipped and biting prose that Cain has made his own.The story is set in Mexico, Hollywood, and New York. With stated "First Edition" on the copyright page
Seller: Brainerd Phillipson Rare Books, Holliston, MA, U.S.A.
Cain, James. Serenade. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$400.00 + shipping
Condition: Fine
Description: The first American edition, published in 1937 by Alfred A. Knopf. A fine example of the book. Dust jacket near fine with light chipping to the edges, and a one half inch triangular chip to base of spine. A very sharp and bright example of the striking dust jacket. Cain's follow-up to The Postman Always Rings Twice.
Seller: The Reluctant Bookseller, Albany, NY, U.S.A.
CAIN, James M.. Serenade.. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1937., 1937.
Price: US$486.60 + shipping
Description: First edition. Near fine in the purple/red d/w which is slightly darkened on the spine with touch of wear but is better than very good.
Seller: David Mason Books (ABAC), Toronto, ON, Canada
CAIN, James M.. Serenade.. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1937., 1937.
Price: US$561.47 + shipping
Description: First edition. A fine copy in the purple/turquoise d/w which has some fading on the spine but is o/w near fine.
Seller: David Mason Books (ABAC), Toronto, ON, Canada
Cain, James M. Serenade.. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$650.00 + shipping
Description: First edition. Octavo, original black cloth with titles to the spine and front panel in silver. Inscribed by the author, "To Frank Whitbech, Who has more Cain first editions than Cain has and the more power to him. James M. Cain Los Angeles, Calif June 5, 1944". Bookplate of the recipient on the front free endpaper, a very good copy with light wear.
Seller: Raptis Rare Books, Palm Beach, FL, U.S.A.
James M. Cain. Serenade (Hardcover, inscribed in 1938). Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$750.00 + shipping
Description: Second printing. INSCRIBED by the author in the year after publication: "To Miriam Geiger / In memory of pleasant times / James M. Cain / Feb 17, 1938." Jacket art by W. A. Dwiggins. One of Cain's least-appreciated novels, a hard-boiled story about a dethroned opera singer who meets the love of his life while wasting away in rural Mexico, then attempts a return to fame. Basis for the 1956 film directed by Anthony Mann and starring Mario Lanza and Joan Fontaine. . Very Good or better in a bright, Very Good plus example of the purple-and-red variant of the dust jacket (there are three different color variants, no priority). Slight spine lean, Some brief chipping to the cloth at the crown, light bumping to the spine ends. Jacket spine lightly toned, else bright and colorful, with a few tiny closed tears and a few tiny nicks at the spine ends. An attractive copy.
Seller: Royal Books, Inc., ABAA, Baltimore, MD, U.S.A.
Cain, James M.. Serenade. Alfred A Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$750.00 + shipping
Description: First edition. Title page vignette by W.A. Dwiggins. 314, [2] pp. 1 vols. 8vo. Cain's second novel, with autobiographical roots, and in a beautiful Dwiggins design. Black cloth, silver gilt decoration by W.A. Dwiggins. Fine in near fine dust jacket designed by Dwiggins as well (spine panel slightly faded with stain at head). Bookplate Title page vignette by W.A. Dwiggins. 314, [2] pp. 1 vols. 8vo
Seller: James Cummins Bookseller, ABAA, New York, NY, U.S.A.
CAIN, JAMES M.. SERENADE. Alfred A. Knopf, 1937., New York, 1937.
Price: US$1250.00 + shipping
Description: First edition. A near fine bright copy in a fine bright price-clipped dust jacket, lightly rubbed at the corner tips, with only a few nicks and tiny closed tears. This dust jacket is the purple and red variant (one of several with no priority). A lovely copy of this striking dust jacket designed by W. A. Dwiggins.
Seller: BUCKINGHAM BOOKS, ABAA, ILAB, IOBA, GREENCASTLE, PA, U.S.A.
James M. Cain. Serenade (First Edition). Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1937.
Price: US$1850.00 + shipping
Description: First Edition. In the green-and-purple variant of the jacket, one of three color designs issued simultaneously. The author's bleakest noir, and his final masterpiece, the tale of an opera tenor who runs to Mexico to flee from professional disgrace, meets a girl there, and then attempts a triumphant return to Hollywood with her as his semi-legal bride. But the glory of his return is brutally stonewalled by the reality of his poor decisions and the pitiless backlash of fame. Slight spine lean, else Near Fine in a strong Very Good plus dust jacket. Jacket spine panel lightly toned, with a few nicks and tiny chips along the top jacket edges.
Seller: Royal Books, Inc., ABAA, Baltimore, MD, U.S.A.
Price: US$3500.00 + shipping
Description: Publisher's prospectus for the First Edition. A perhaps unique and certainly rare piece advertising the release of Cain's second novel, containing the title-page, first chapter, and a specifications leaf. In a custom clamshell box with dark red cloth, quarter bound in dark red leather, titles in gilt. Box Very Good with some wear along the front hinge fold. From the collection of Otto Penzler. Cain's bleakest noir, and his final masterpiece, telling the tale of an opera tenor who runs to Mexico to flee from professional disgrace, meets a local girl there, and then attempts a triumphant return to Hollywood with her as his semi-legal bride. But the glory of his return is brutally stonewalled by the reality of his poor decisions and the pitiless backlash of fame. Purple and teal illustrated wrappers. Fine. 7.5 x 5.125 inches.
Seller: Royal Books, Inc., ABAA, Baltimore, MD, U.S.A.