# Is "Affliction" by Russell Banks a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Affliction by Russell Banks (Harper & Row, 1989) is identified by: Harper & Row first printing: 'First Edition' stated with a full number line including 1 on the copyright page; original price present on the jacket flap; blue boards with maroon (dark) cloth spine and silver spine lettering. US Harper & Row, New York, 1989 is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Harper & Row first printing: 'First Edition' stated with a full number line including 1 on the copyright page; original price present on the jacket flap; blue boards with maroon (dark) cloth spine and silver spine lettering
- Basis for the 1997 film
- Publisher imprint reads Harper & Row
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Russell Banks |
| Publisher | Harper & Row |
| Year | 1989 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Harper & Row first printing: 'First Edition' stated with a full number line including 1 on the copyright page; original price present on… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Harper & Row first printing: 'First Edition' stated with a full number line including 1 on the copyright page; original price present on the jacket flap; blue boards with maroon (dark) cloth spine and silver spine lettering. Basis for the 1997 film.

## Is this the true first?
US Harper & Row, New York, 1989 is the true first. The 1989 date is correct and the earlier uncertainty about 1990 is resolved.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club copies lack the original flap price, may carry a blind-stamp to the board, and do not show the complete number line ending in 1.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Affliction* by Russell Banks a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/affliction
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.