# Is "A Prayer for Owen Meany" by John Irving a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving (William Morrow, 1989) is identified by: US Morrow trade first: the copyright page carries the full number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 (reading down to 1) with no later-printing statement present. Precedence is debated.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Morrow trade first: the copyright page carries the full number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 (reading down to 1) with no later-printing statement present
- Thick octavo of 543 pages in publisher's cloth
- The first-issue dust jacket bears cover art by Honi Werner, and the unclipped jacket carries its printed price on the front flap (the price should be present; a clipped flap is a defect but not a later-issue point)
- See the precedence question below
- Publisher imprint reads William Morrow
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Irving |
| Publisher | William Morrow |
| Year | 1989 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Morrow trade first: the copyright page carries the full number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 (reading down to 1) with no later-printing… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US Morrow trade first: the copyright page carries the full number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 (reading down to 1) with no later-printing statement present. Thick octavo of 543 pages in publisher's cloth. The first-issue dust jacket bears cover art by Honi Werner, and the unclipped jacket carries its printed price on the front flap (the price should be present; a clipped flap is a defect but not a later-issue point). See the precedence question below.

## Is this the true first?
Precedence is debated. The Toronto Lester & Orpen Dennys edition (Canada, 1989) is widely cited as a legitimate first trade edition issued alongside the US Morrow trade edition, and dealers treat both as 1989 firsts. A Franklin Library signed limited edition, full leather with gilt page edges, 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 Morrow trade first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club issue of the Morrow edition: smaller and lighter in bulk, no number line on the copyright page, a blind-stamp (small square or dot) to the rear board, and no price printed on the jacket flap. The Franklin Library leather edition is a separate signed limited, not a book-club reprint.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Prayer for Owen Meany* by John Irving a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-prayer-for-owen-meany
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.