NY, Henry Holt, (1997). The uncorrected proof copy in plain blue wrappers (not to be confused with the two more common variants of the beige advance reading copy, of which there were reportedly 500 copies each). This is the second issue blue proof, with a tipped-in title page that adds the ampersand missing from the "Mason & Dixon" in the first issue. These blue proofs had significant textual variations from both the advance reading copy and the printed book, and as such this is the most significant printed variant of any Pynchon work ever to appear -- the only one to contain a significantly earlier version of the text than that which was finally published in book form. While the textual variations in the beige advance reading copies were minor, and could easily have been the work of a copy editor, those evident in this proof would have to have involved Pynchon's assent and his rewriting. We have been told that virtually the entire edition of these proofs was destroyed. Fine in wrappers. [#033041] SOLD