The points of issue
US Morrow trade first: number line down to 1 on the copyright page with no later-printing statement; the unclipped jacket carries the printed price. Note the precedence question below.
Is this the true first?
Precedence is debated. The Toronto Lester & Orpen Dennys edition (Canada, 1989) is widely cited as preceding the US Morrow trade edition, and a Franklin Library signed limited edition was also issued in 1989. Collectors who want the earliest issue should weigh the Canadian Lester & Orpen Dennys edition and the Franklin Library signed edition against the US trade first.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club issue of the Morrow edition: smaller, no number line, blind-stamp to the rear board, and no price printed on the jacket.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of A Prayer for Owen Meany a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: US Morrow trade first: number line down to 1 on the copyright page with no later-printing statement; the unclipped jacket carries the printed price. Note the precedence question below.
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. Precedence is debated. The Toronto Lester & Orpen Dennys edition (Canada, 1989) is widely cited as preceding the US Morrow trade edition, and a Franklin Library signed limited edition was also issued in 1989. Collectors who want the earliest issue should weigh the Canadian Lester & Orpen Dennys edit
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Book club issue of the Morrow edition: smaller, no number line, blind-stamp to the rear board, and no price printed on the jacket.
I have a first edition of A Prayer for Owen Meany — 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.