# Is "A Feast of Snakes" by Harry Crews a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Feast of Snakes by Harry Crews (Atheneum, 1976) is identified by: First printing published by Atheneum, New York, 1976; blue cloth boards, blind-stamped on the upper board and lettered in silver at the spine, with orange topstain; dust jacket priced on the front flap. The US Atheneum 1976 edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing published by Atheneum, New York, 1976; blue cloth boards, blind-stamped on the upper board and lettered in silver at the spine, with orange topstain; dust jacket priced on the front flap
- One of Crews's best-known novels
- Publisher imprint reads Atheneum
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Harry Crews |
| Publisher | Atheneum |
| Year | 1976 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing published by Atheneum, New York, 1976; blue cloth boards, blind-stamped on the upper board and lettered in silver at the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing published by Atheneum, New York, 1976; blue cloth boards, blind-stamped on the upper board and lettered in silver at the spine, with orange topstain; dust jacket priced on the front flap. One of Crews's best-known novels.

## Is this the true first?
The US Atheneum 1976 edition is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club copies are typically lighter, lack the printed jacket flap price, and show a blind blip or stamp to the rear board. Because the trade first is itself blind-stamped on the upper board, do not rely on blind-stamping alone; confirm the priced jacket and Atheneum's first-printing copyright statement.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Feast of Snakes* by Harry Crews a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-feast-of-snakes
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.