# Is "Absalom, Absalom!" by William Faulkner a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner (Random House, 1936) is identified by: 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. US Random House is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- 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
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | William Faulkner |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1936 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First trade edition is identified by "1936" on the title page AND "1936" on the copyright page with NO additional statement of later… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## 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.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Absalom, Absalom!* by William Faulkner a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/absalom-absalom
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.