On Wednesday, Harper Lee’s publisher HarperCollins (no relation) announced it would be releasing a limited edition version of Go Set A Watchman, the year’s hottest contested work of literature. According to Alexandra Alter of The New York Times, “HarperCollins printed just 500 copies of the collectors’ edition, which includes a leather-bound book with gold gilded edges and a velvet-lined cloth box.” At this point, the consensus is that Go Set A Watchman is both a draft of To Kill A Mockingbird and also not very good. But the book is unquestionably a hit—the fastest selling book in the history of HarperCollins. So it’s no surprise that the publishing house wants to keep the train rolling. The fact that the books are signed is, however, especially given the numerous questions of consent that enveloped the book’s publication—whatever you think about Go Set A Watchman, Harper Lee just signed 1,500 copies of the book, so it’s hard to say she didn’t want it out there now.
You can buy a signed, gilded, velvet-lined edition of Go Set A Watchman for $1,500, if you're into that kind of thing.
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