Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
UPDIKE, JOHN. The Carpentered Hen and other tame creatures. Harper and Brothers, New York, 1958.
Price: US$125.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: 8vo, publisher's ¼ cloth, spine foot bumped; dust jacket, folds rubbed, shallow chipping to head and foot of spine panel; faded inked inscription on front flyleaf. Updike's first book. Signed by him on the title page.
Seller: Sanctuary Books, A.B.A.A., New York, NY, U.S.A.
Updike, John. The Carpentered Hen and Other Tame Creatures. Harper & Brothers, 1958.
Price: US$300.00 + shipping
Description: Signed on front free endpaper by Updike. Very faint darkening to edges, fine in near fine dust jacket in. mylar cover.
Seller: THE HERMITAGE BOOKSHOP, Denver, CO, U.S.A.
Price: US$400.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: First edition. Small spot on front board, a little rubbing at the spine ends, very good lacking the dust jacket. Signed by Updike on the titlepage. Author's first book.
Seller: Between the Covers-Rare Books, Inc. ABAA, Gloucester City, NJ, U.S.A.
Price: US$412.50 + shipping
Description: First Printing. Octavo (20.75cm); pale gray paper-covered boards and black cloth backstrip, with titling and publisher's logo stamped in gilt on spine and front cover; dustjacket; xii,82,[2]pp. Bookplate signed by the author loosely laid in. Light wear to spine ends, tiny stain to lower edge of textblock, with a tiny tear to upper front corner, and signatures starting to sag slightly (common with this title); Very Good+. In the first state dustjacket, price-clipped, but with "a wife and two small children" printed on rear flap; light wear to extremities, some mild dustiness to rear panel, and a short tear to upper front panel (tape-mended on verso); Very Good+. The National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning author's first book. DE BELLIS & BROOMFIELD A1.a.
Seller: Lorne Bair Rare Books, ABAA, Winchester, VA, U.S.A.
Updike John.. The Carpentered Hen and Other Tame Creatures.. NY. Harper & Brothers. 1958., 1958.
Price: US$500.00 + shipping
Description: First Edition (Stated) with B-H underneath. Updike's first book: a collection of witty and urbane poetry. With a bookplate signed by John Updike laid in. Only 2,000 copies printed. In first issue dustjacket with ".a wife and two small children" on the rear inside flap. VG+/VG- in black cloth spine stamped brightly in gold; in gray paper-covered boards stamped in gold. With a slight indentation from being bumped to the fore-edge boards. In a p/c, edge-rubbed dustjacket which is lightly soiled on the rear panel. First Edition (Stated) with B-H underneath.
Seller: Brainerd Phillipson Rare Books, Holliston, MA, U.S.A.
Updike John.. The Carpentered Hen and Other Tame Creatures.. NY. Harper & Brothers. 1958., 1958.
Price: US$500.00 + shipping
Description: First Edition. Updike's first book: a collection of witty and urbane poetry. With a signed bookplate laid in.Only 2,000 copies printed. In first issue dustjacket with ".a wife and two small children" on the rear inside flap. VG/VG- in black cloth spine stamped in gold and gray paper-covered boards. In worn and p/c dustjacket which is lightly soiled and browned on the rear panel. With rubbing to the top and bottom of the spine. First Edition.
Seller: Brainerd Phillipson Rare Books, Holliston, MA, U.S.A.
John Updike. The Carpentered Hen 2 copies, 1 SIGNED. Harper, 1958.
Price: US$550.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: A Signed, Very Good+ copy in a Very Good+ jacket. A previous critic has written comments in two locations in the book, and on the lower back cover of the jacket, else would be Near Fine. Additionally included is a Near Fine copy in a Near Fine jacket. Both are first edition, first print in first print jackets. Author's first book.
Seller: D & L Fine Books, Richboro, PA, U.S.A.
Updike, John. The Carpentered Hen and other Tame Creatures. Harper and Brothers, New York, 1958.
Price: US$559.00 + shipping
Description: SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR on a decorative bookplate. A VERY CLEAN, NICE COPY WITH A BRIGHT, ATTRACTIVE DUSTJACKET IN NEW, GLOSSY BRODART. NO PREVIOUS OWNER MARKINGS. First issue of author's first book. First Edition (Stated) with B-H underneath. First state dustjacket. 185 pages. A handsome, collectible copy!
Seller: Books Plus, LLC, Lexington, SC, U.S.A.
Updike, John. The Carpentered Hen. HARPER, 1958.
Price: US$750.00 + shipping
Condition: Fine
Description: a fine first in dj. price clipped signed on bookplate
Seller: Vagabond Books, A.B.A.A., PASADENA, CA, U.S.A.
Updike, John. The Carpentered Hen and Other Tame Creatures. Harper and Brothers, New York, 1958.
Price: US$850.00 + shipping
Condition: Fine
Description: First Edition, First Printing with the words "First Edition" printed on the copyright page. This copy is SIGNED by John Updike on the title page. This ORIGINAL First Issue dustjacket with "A Wife and two small children" in the biographical information on back flap of dustjacket has some light staining and wear to the panels. The book is in excellent condition. The binding is tight, with minor wear to the boards. The pages are clean with NO marks or bookplates in the book. Overall, a lovely copy of this TRUE FIRST EDITION SIGNED by the author.
Seller: Magnum Opus Rare Books, Missoula, MT, U.S.A.
John Updike. the CARPENTERED HEN and other tame creatures. Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1958.
Price: US$1000.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: John Updike's first book, a very nice copy, inscribed by the author to his child's Sunday school teacher. The book is near fine in a dust jacket that has a small ½ inch sized scrape on the spine, and some very minor signs of wear at the edges of the spine where you can see the teal jacket cover is a rubbed whitish. Inside the dust jacket is price clipped on the front flap upper right corner and possesses a faded black ink stamp "300" on the bottom. Inside back flap of the dust jacket is clean. Dust jacket protected in mylar cover. Pages all clean with signs of having been read, but otherwise in great condition with no marks, and no foxing.
Seller: Bedlam Book Cafe, Worcester, MA, U.S.A.
Price: US$1250.00 + shipping
Condition: Fine
Description: 82p octavo. A very fine copy in a very fine dust jacket signed by Updike on the title page
Seller: Old New York Book Shop, ABAA, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A.
Price: US$1287.64 + shipping
Description: First edition, first printing, of the author's first book, signed by him on the title page. The dust jacket is the first issue; printed on the rear flap is the phrase "a wife and two small children", which was removed from later issues of the jacket. This humorous poetry collection is characterized by its liberal use of wordplay, reflecting John Updike's early career as a writer of short stories and light verses for the New Yorker. Octavo. Original black cloth-backed grey paper-covered sides, spine lettered in gilt, publisher's device to front cover gilt. With dust jacket. Light offsetting at endpapers, contents fresh. A near-fine copy, in like dust jacket, unclipped, a little soiling, small scuff to rear panel, overall sharp and bright.
Seller: Peter Harrington. ABA/ ILAB., London, United Kingdom
Price: US$1500.00 + shipping
Condition: Fine
Description: First Edition, First Printing. This copy is SIGNED by John Updike on a laid in letter. A wonderful copy. This ORIGINAL dustjacket is rich in color with NO chips or tears. The book is in great shape. The binding is tight with minor wear to the boards. A sharp copy of this TRUE FIRST EDITION.
Seller: Magnum Opus Rare Books, Missoula, MT, U.S.A.
Price: US$1549.50 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: A square solid tight clean carefully read copy. This copy has some light board edge wear, two board edge bumps, sewn binding not quite as tight when it was new I am sure. The 2.75 jacket has some light edge wear, light soil, light rubbing. This copy is housed in a custom slipcase. THIS COPY IS IN MY POSSESSION AND WILL NORMALLY SHIP NEXT DAY. This copy has been signed John Updike on the title page. Points: .wife and two small children, stated First Edition, B-H on CP page. One of a rumored 2000 copies that were published of John's first book.
Seller: Pat Cramer, Bookseller, Lewisville, TX, U.S.A.
Updike, John. The Carpentered Hen and Other Tame Creatures. Harper & Brothers, New York, 1958.
Price: US$2250.00 + shipping
Condition: As New
Description: 82 pages. First edition, first printing with "B-H" on the copyright page. His first book, poems written in Oxford just before returning to the US to start working for The New Yorker. Signed by Updike on the first sheet. As new book in an equally like new dust jacket. A beautiful copy!
Seller: Fireproof Books, MINNETONKA, MN, U.S.A.
Price: US$2250.00 + shipping
Condition: Fine
Description: First Edition, First Printing SIGNED by John Updike on a handwritten postcard. This is the TRUE FIRST EDITION with the words "First Edition" printed on the copyright page. A beautiful copy. This First Issue dustjacket is vibrant in color with NO chips or tears. The book is in excellent condition. The binding is tight with NO cocking or leaning and the boards are crisp. A spectacular copy SIGNED by the author in collector's condition.
Seller: Magnum Opus Rare Books, Missoula, MT, U.S.A.
UPDIKE, John. The Carpentered Hen and Other Tame Creatures. Harper and Brothers, New York, 1958.
Price: US$2500.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: First edition. A little age-toning on the boards, near fine in near fine, first issue dustwrapper with two short tears. Inscribed (but not signed) by Updike on the front endpaper to Janet Pott: "For dearest J. in grateful memory of her many kindnesses to two very young Americans in Oxford, 1955." Laid in is an index card, evidently from the recipient's daughter, stating: "This should be in the Updike section. The inscription is from John U. & wife to Janet. And see p. 30. Genetics sometimes plays tricks." The poem on page 30, "Time's Fool," is about Janet's husband, Frederick Alexander Pott. Updike had been befriended by the Potts while in England and the poem and the book express his thanks. Updike's first book, a volume of poems written in Oxford while on a Knox Fellowship, just before returning to the United States to join the staff of *The New Yorker*. A wonderful early association copy of the author's first book.
Seller: Between the Covers-Rare Books, Inc. ABAA, Gloucester City, NJ, U.S.A.
UPDIKE, John. The Carpentered Hen and Other Tame Creatures. Harper and Brothers, New York, 1958.
Price: US$2500.00 + shipping
Condition: Fine
Description: First edition. One signature fallen slightly forward as usual else fine in fine, first issue dustwrapper with a later (probably publisher's) price sticker over the original price. Inscribed by Updike to Herb Yellin: "for Herb Yellin, John Updike." Herb Yellin was the founder and publisher of Lord John Press and the most frequent of Updike's fine press collaborators. He named his press after noting that the list of authors he wanted to publish all shared the same first name, chief among them John Updike, his favorite. *Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu* became the press's first book in 1977 with 10 more to follow over the next 23 years. Yellin's friendship with Updike grew with each new limited edition benefitting his already enormous Updike collection, with Updike himself contributing copies of new editions of his books - often inscribed. In a 2010 interview with Yellin he noted that Updike ".liked that if anything ever happened to his own collection, he had my collection on the opposite side of the country." A notable association in the author's first book, a collection of poems.
Seller: Between the Covers-Rare Books, Inc. ABAA, Gloucester City, NJ, U.S.A.