# Is "A River Runs Through It and Other Stories" by Norman Maclean a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A River Runs Through It and Other Stories by Norman Maclean (University of Chicago Press, 1976) is identified by: First state has the typo 'adways' for 'always' in the fifth paragraph of p. True first US edition, and Maclean's first book — also the first work of fiction ever published by the University of Chicago Press.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First state has the typo 'adways' for 'always' in the fifth paragraph of p
- 27; the copyright page carries an ISBN that is missing a digit, with the correct, different ISBN on the rear dust-jacket flap; copyright page states 'Published 1976' with no number line; jacket price 7.95 on the top inside front flap; xiv, 217 pp
- Publisher imprint reads University of Chicago Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Norman Maclean |
| Publisher | University of Chicago Press |
| Year | 1976 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First state has the typo 'adways' for 'always' in the fifth paragraph of p |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First state has the typo 'adways' for 'always' in the fifth paragraph of p. 27; the copyright page carries an ISBN that is missing a digit, with the correct, different ISBN on the rear dust-jacket flap; copyright page states 'Published 1976' with no number line; jacket price 7.95 on the top inside front flap; xiv, 217 pp.

## Is this the true first?
True first US edition, and Maclean's first book — also the first work of fiction ever published by the University of Chicago Press. Of about 5,000 copies printed, the first state comprises the first 3,000 bound; the second state is the remaining 2,000 bound after the first sold out. The 'adways' typo is present in the first state. No prior UK edition predates it.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable US book-club edition of the true first. Later trade printings drop the 'adways' typo and reset the copyright page. Watch for matching-looking later printings that lack the dual-ISBN discrepancy.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A River Runs Through It and Other Stories* by Norman Maclean a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-river-runs-through-it-and-other-stories
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.