The points of issue
First trade edition is identified by "1936" on the title page AND "1936" on the copyright page with NO additional statement of later printings (no "Second printing," etc.); a printer's code "EH" appears at the foot of the copyright page on the true first. Random House did NOT print the words "FIRST EDITION" on the copyright page of this 1936 book — the original claim is wrong on that point. The first edition does include the fold-out map of Yoknapatawpha County (printed in red and black) and the Chronology and Genealogy appendices (CONFIRMED). A signed limited edition of 300 numbered copies, signed by Faulkner on the limitation page, precedes the trade issue and is the premium true-first state (CONFIRMED) — but it was issued WITHOUT a publisher's slipcase: dealers (e.g., Bauman Rare Books) describe it as "issued without dust jacket or slipcase," bound in half green cloth over patterned boards, top edge gilt. The original claim's "in slipcase" is incorrect; any slipcase/clamshell/chemise seen today is a later collector-added protective case, not original issue.
Is this the true first?
US Random House is the true first. The 300-copy signed limited (slipcased) is the premium true-first state and precedes the trade printing.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club and later printings drop 'First Edition' and may omit or reproduce the map differently; the limitation leaf identifies the signed issue.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Absalom, Absalom! a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First trade edition is identified by "1936" on the title page AND "1936" on the copyright page with NO additional statement of later printings (no "Second printing," etc.); a printer's code "EH" appears at the foot of the copyright page on the true first. Random House did NOT print the words "FIRST EDITION" on the copyright page of this 1936 book — the original claim is wrong on that point. The first edition does include the fold-out map of Yoknapatawpha County (printed in red and black) and the Chronology and Genealogy appendices (CONFIRMED). A signed limi
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 Random House is the true first. The 300-copy signed limited (slipcased) is the premium true-first state and precedes the trade printing.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Book-club and later printings drop 'First Edition' and may omit or reproduce the map differently; the limitation leaf identifies the signed issue.
I have a first edition of Absalom, Absalom! — 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.