The points of issue
Poe's only novel. US first: Harper & Brothers, New York, July 1838, in original cloth; verify the Harper imprint and the publisher's advertisement catalogue. The US Harper text includes the concluding editorial 'Note' explaining Pym's death and the supposedly lost final chapters. The first English edition (Wiley & Putnam, London, October 1838) is a separate, slightly later issue: it OMITS the final March 22 diary entry (the white-figure ending), adds a few sentences to the preface, and adopts British spellings. Identify by imprint and by whether the closing ending/Note is present.
Is this the true first?
US Harper edition (July 1838) is the true first and precedes the London Wiley & Putnam edition (October 1838). The London edition is textually altered, dropping the final diary entry and modifying the preface. Verify by imprint and the presence of the original ending.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later reprints lack the 1838 Harper cloth and ad catalogue. The London issue is distinguished by its cut ending, altered preface, and British spellings, not by an 'added' note.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Adventures of Gordon Pym (The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket) a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Poe's only novel. US first: Harper & Brothers, New York, July 1838, in original cloth; verify the Harper imprint and the publisher's advertisement catalogue. The US Harper text includes the concluding editorial 'Note' explaining Pym's death and the supposedly lost final chapters. The first English edition (Wiley & Putnam, London, October 1838) is a separate, slightly later issue: it OMITS the final March 22 diary entry (the white-figure ending), adds a few sentences to the preface, and adopts British spellings. Identify by imprint and by whether the closing
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 Harper edition (July 1838) is the true first and precedes the London Wiley & Putnam edition (October 1838). The London edition is textually altered, dropping the final diary entry and modifying the preface. Verify by imprint and the presence of the original ending.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later reprints lack the 1838 Harper cloth and ad catalogue. The London issue is distinguished by its cut ending, altered preface, and British spellings, not by an 'added' note.
I have a first edition of Adventures of Gordon Pym (The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket) — 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.