The Natural by Malamud, Bernard - 1952

New York: Harcourt Brace and Company, 1952. First. hardcover. Very good/Very good, large chip missing at bottom of spine. A very good first edition, first issue, in the very rare red cloth covers, not the common gray paper covers. New endpapers. The red cloth is most likely the first state, as the only advance review copy (with a review slip) on the market also has the red cloth covers. Also, the blue and gray bindings are made of paper, not cloth, as are the later printings, so are probably later bindings. Also on the market is another copy with the red cloth covers which has an advance trial proof dust jacket, together with a letter from the publisher regarding the trial jacket. There is one other red cloth copy on the market; it is inscribed by Malamud and dated in the month of publication, July, 1952, to his high school English teacher, whom he credited with having a big influence on his writing. Likely it was presented by Malamud to the teacher from the first copies Malamud received from Harcourt. Housed in a slipcase.