The points of issue
Copyright page reads First Edition with the Doubleday number line including 1 (1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2). The jacket photograph is Peter Hujar's Orgasmic Man (The Peter Hujar Archive, 1987); roughly 720 pages. First-issue jacket carries the original printed price on the front flap.
Is this the true first?
US Doubleday (March 2015) precedes the UK Picador edition and is the true/lead first. Booker shortlist and National Book Award finalist; signed firsts are scarce and strongly sought.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No BCE of note; distinguish printings by the number line containing 1. Later printings add Booker and award-shortlist blurbs to the jacket.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of A Little Life a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Copyright page reads First Edition with the Doubleday number line including 1 (1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2). The jacket photograph is Peter Hujar's Orgasmic Man (The Peter Hujar Archive, 1987); roughly 720 pages. First-issue jacket carries the original printed price on the front flap.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. US Doubleday (March 2015) precedes the UK Picador edition and is the true/lead first. Booker shortlist and National Book Award finalist; signed firsts are scarce and strongly sought.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No BCE of note; distinguish printings by the number line containing 1. Later printings add Booker and award-shortlist blurbs to the jacket.
I have a first edition of A Little Life — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.