signed-firsts

Everyman (2006) Signed First Edition Reference

Approx. 2 min read · 4 May 2026

Everyman (2006) is Philip Roth’s most sustained confrontation with mortality — a short, spare novel about an unnamed man (the “everyman” of the medieval morality play tradition) whose life is structured around a series of medical crises, from a childhood hernia operation through the surgeries and hospitalizations of old age. Published by Houghton Mifflin, the novel won the PEN/Faulkner Award and represents Roth’s engagement with the literature of aging that would characterize his final creative period.

First Edition Identification

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston Publication date: 2006 Format: Hardcover, 182 pages First printing indicator: Number line with “1” present on the copyright page

Moderate first printing. The novel was well-received but not a major bestseller — its brevity and its relentlessly somber subject matter limited its commercial appeal relative to the more narratively dynamic titles of the preceding decade.

Signed Copy Values

Flat-signed: $250–$600
Inscribed: $400–$1,000

Lower-mid range. The PEN/Faulkner Award provides some institutional support for pricing, but the novel’s spare, almost ascetic quality limits its collector appeal relative to the richer, more expansive works. Roth was in his early seventies when the book was published and was still actively signing, so signed copies are available with moderate frequency.

The Late-Career Meditation

Everyman inaugurates the final phase of Roth’s career — the brief, concentrated novels about aging, decline, and death that would include Exit Ghost, Indignation, The Humbling, and Nemesis. These five novels form a natural collecting group: they share a thematic preoccupation, they were published at roughly annual intervals, and they are all affordable in signed form. For collectors interested in assembling a cohesive thematic grouping rather than pursuing individual trophy titles, the late novels offer an accessible and intellectually satisfying project.

Market Position

Stable pricing with limited appreciation potential. The novel is well-regarded but does not generate the intense demand of the Pulitzer and National Book Award winners. A signed copy at current prices represents a fair-value addition to a Roth collection.