John O'Hara First Editions

• Appointment in Samarra — 1934 · Harcourt, Brace and Company"First Edition" stated on the copyright page. Glazed black cloth, spine titles in gilt, yellow topstain; [viii],301,[3]pp. Earliest state has an errata slip tipped in following the copyright page. First-issue dust jacket with its printed price with "Recent Fiction" on the rear panel. The US Harcourt, Brace printing is the true first; the UK Faber edition follows in 1935. Cataloged as Bruccoli A2.1.a. No book-club issue this early. Reprints lack the "First Edition" statement; a Grosset & Dunlap reprint exists.
• Butterfield 8 — 1935 · Harcourt, Brace and Company"First Edition" stated on the copyright page. Black varnished (glazed) cloth lettered in gilt on the spine; 310pp. Dust jacket with its printed price. Properly styled "BUtterfield 8" after the telephone exchange. The US Harcourt, Brace printing is the true first; the UK Cresset Press edition follows later (recorded at 1951, not 1936). Reprints lack the "First Edition" line; a later Grosset & Dunlap photoplay/tie-in reprint exists.
• The Doctor's Son and Other Stories — 1935 · Harcourt, Brace and Company"First Edition" stated on the copyright page of the Harcourt, Brace and Company (New York) printing. Bound in black cloth with gilt titling; O'Hara's first collection of short stories, gathering thirty-seven pieces. The first-issue dust jacket should retain its printed price to the flap. Notably uncommon in the jacket, which is seldom found. The US Harcourt, Brace and Company printing of 1935 is the true first; there is no earlier edition. Not a book-club title. Later printings drop the "First Edition" statement on the copyright page; a second printing is recorded and is at times found inscribed by O'Hara, so confirm the "First Edition" line rather than relying on a signature.
• Hope of Heaven — 1938 · Harcourt, Brace and Company"First Edition" stated on the copyright page (verso of the title leaf). Bound in black cloth (boards) lettered in gilt on the spine; 182 pages, octavo. This was O'Hara's fourth book and third novel. The first-issue dust jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap; a copy in an unclipped jacket is preferred, though the stated-edition point on the copyright page, not the jacket, establishes the first…. The US Harcourt, Brace and Company printing (1938) is the true first; a UK Faber and Faber edition followed. Reprints omit the "First Edition" statement on the copyright page.
• Files on Parade — 1939 · Harcourt, Brace and Company"First Edition" is stated on the copyright page of the Harcourt, Brace and Company printing (Bruccoli A6.1.a). The recognized first-state point is the Foreword leaf tipped in. Bound in original royal blue cloth with gilt lettering on the spine, in the original printed dust jacket carrying its printed price (an unclipped jacket is preferred). O'Hara's second short-story collection, gathering thirty-five stories. The US Harcourt, Brace and Company printing of 1939 is the true first, distinguished by the stated "First Edition" line and the tipped-in Foreword leaf (Bruccoli A6.1.a). Reprints lack the stated "First Edition" line; a later softcover reissue also appeared and is not the first.
• Pal Joey — 1940 · Duell, Sloan and PearceDuell, Sloan and Pearce, New York, 1940; 195 pp., octavo. Collects the New Yorker 'Pal Joey' letters/sketches. Bound in tan paper-covered boards with gilt and red lettering and decoration to the spine and front board, and a black-and-white photographic illustration mounted on the front board. The first printing carries no statement of a later printing; the priced dust jacket should retain its printed price. The US Duell, Sloan and Pearce 1940 printing is the true first. Later musical/film tie-in issues exist, including variant jackets associated with the stage and screen adaptations; these are distinguished from the 1940 first by imprint, added printing notices, and tie-in jacket artwork.
• Pipe Night — 1945 · Duell, Sloan and PearceFirst printing stated on the copyright page, with no later-printing notice present. A collection of thirty-one short stories and sketches with a preface by Wolcott Gibbs; octavo, xiv plus 205 pages, produced under wartime paper economies. Original cloth in the publisher's decorated black-and-orange pictorial dust jacket. The unclipped jacket should retain its printed front-flap price. US first, published by Duell, Sloan and Pearce in New York in March 1945. The UK Faber and Faber edition followed in 1946, so the Duell, Sloan and Pearce printing holds precedence as the true first. Later printings carry an explicit later-printing notice on the copyright page (copies marked third printing and beyond are recorded). Note also the separate 1946 Forum Books reprint edition, which is not the first.
• Hellbox — 1947 · Random HouseRandom House first printing, with no later-printing statement on the copyright page. O'Hara's first postwar short-story collection. Black cloth lettered in silver, top edge stained blue, in the original dust jacket. US first; the UK Faber and Faber edition followed in 1948. Later printings are stated as such on the copyright page.
• A Rage to Live — 1949 · Random HouseFirst printing stated on the copyright page, with no later-printing slug, per the Random House convention of this period. Black cloth with a rural scene blind-stamped on the front board and spine, red topstain, in the original dust jacket. US first; the UK Cresset Press edition followed in 1949. The book-club edition is physically smaller, lacks the stated first-printing line, often shows a blind-stamp to the rear board, and has a price-clipped or unpriced jacket.
• The Farmers Hotel — 1951 · Random HouseFirst printing stated on the copyright page, with no later-printing statement. Short novel of roughly 150 pages, blue cloth boards with a facsimile signature in black on the front board, top edge stained blue, in the dust jacket with art by John O'Hara Cosgrave II. US first; the UK Cresset Press edition followed in 1953. Reprints carry a later-printing notice on the copyright page.
• Sweet and Sour — 1954 · Random HouseFirst printing stated on the copyright page. Collection of O'Hara's Sweet and Sour columns originally written for the Trenton Times-Advertiser. Russet paper-covered boards with brown cloth backstrip, navy topstain, in the dust jacket. US first edition. Reprints are stated as later printings on the copyright page.
• Ten North Frederick — 1955 · Random HouseFirst printing stated on the copyright page, with no later-printing slug. Blue cloth with gilt spine lettering, yellow topstain, blue endpapers, title page in orange and black. National Book Award winner. Dust jacket designed by Sam Sugar. US first; the UK Cresset Press edition followed in 1956. The Book-of-the-Month Club edition lacks the stated first-printing line, typically shows a blind-stamp to the rear board, and carries an unpriced or price-clipped jacket.
• A Family Party — 1956 · Random HouseFirst printing of this slim novella, presented as a single after-dinner monologue, in paper-covered boards with cloth spine and dust jacket. The copyright page of the first printing carries no later-printing statement. US first (Random House, New York, 1956). Later printings and reprints are identified by a printing statement added to the copyright page; the first printing carries none.
• From the Terrace — 1958 · Random HouseLarge novel in navy cloth stamped in gilt, with dust jacket. The first printing states 'First Printing' on the copyright page and carries no later-printing slug. Copies signed by O'Hara on the title page exist but are not a separate limited issue. US first (Random House, New York, 1958); UK Cresset Press 1959. Author-signed copies of the first edition are recorded (Bruccoli A16.1.a). Book-of-the-Month Club printings are identified by a blind-stamp to the rear board and a dust jacket with no printed price.
• Ourselves to Know — 1960 · Random HouseFirst printing states 'First Printing' on the copyright page with no later-printing statement (Bruccoli A17.1.a). Bound in burgundy cloth lettered in gilt on the spine, with the top edge stained red. The first-issue dust jacket should retain its printed price at the top of the front flap; a price-clipped example is still collectible but the flap otherwise reads as first-state. US first is Random House, New York, 1960 (Bruccoli A17.1.a). The UK edition was published by Cresset Press, London, in 1960 and follows the American first. Book club edition is identified by a blind-stamp (small dot or square) to the lower rear board, thinner boards and lighter bulk, and a dust jacket lacking the printed price; book-club jackets carry no price at all rather than a clipped one.
• Sermons and Soda-Water — 1960 · Random HouseThree short novels issued together as a three-volume set housed in a publisher's slipcase: 'The Girl on the Baggage Truck,' 'Imagine Kissing Pete,' and 'We're Friends Again.' First printing carries no later-printing statement. A signed issue with a tipped-in leaf signed by O'Hara in the first volume was prepared for the Kroch's & Brentano's First Edition Circle. US first (Random House, New York, 1960); UK Cresset Press 1961. Later trade reprints lose the original three-volume slipcased first-printing state.
• Assembly — 1961 · Random HouseFirst printing of this collection of twenty-six stories, O'Hara's return to short fiction after an eleven-year gap, published by Random House, New York, November 1961, 429 pp. 'First Printing' is stated on the copyright page with no later-printing slug. Bound in white linen with gilt spine lettering over a red panel; first-issue jacket lettered in black and red, with the printed price present on the flap. US first (Random House, New York, 1961), stating 'First Printing.' The UK Cresset Press edition followed in 1962 as a separate, later setting. Later printings alter or add a printing statement to the copyright page; the true first carries only 'First Printing' and no additional slug. No distinct book-club binding point noted beyond the copyright-page statement.
• The Big Laugh — 1962 · Random HouseFirst printing states 'First Printing' on the copyright page with no later-printing statement. Issued in black cloth boards with a red title panel and gilt spine lettering, red endpapers, and dust jacket. US first (Random House, New York, 1962); UK Cresset Press 1962. A book club edition exists; it lacks the 'First Printing' statement and is typically identified by a blind-stamp to the board and a price-clipped or unpriced jacket.
• The Cape Cod Lighter — 1962 · Random HouseCollection of twenty-three stories. The true first carries the words FIRST PRINTING on the copyright page; this is the identifying point, as O'Hara's Random House titles of this period were so marked. Later printings note a printing history instead. United States Random House edition is the true first. The Cresset Press London edition (first English edition) followed and does not precede the American printing. Later Random House printings are indicated by an altered printing statement on the copyright page rather than the FIRST PRINTING line.
• Elizabeth Appleton — 1963 · Random HouseNovel, designed by Tere LoPrete. The true first carries FIRST PRINTING on the copyright page; absence of that line indicates a later state or a book club copy. Bound in red cloth boards with gilt titles to the spine; first-issue jacket unclipped with the printed price present on the flap. United States Random House edition (1963) is the true first; a London edition (Cresset Press) followed. The American printing leads. The book club edition lacks the FIRST PRINTING statement and is typically identified by a small blind-stamped device embossed in the rear board, the standard book-club marker of the era.
• The Hat on the Bed — 1963 · Random HouseCollection of twenty-four stories, an octavo of about 405 pages. The true first carries FIRST PRINTING stated on the copyright page and is bound in green cloth boards with a blue spine panel and gilt lettering, stamped in gold on the spine. The first-issue dust jacket is priced and should be present unclipped; later printings substitute a printing history for the FIRST PRINTING line. The United States Random House edition (1963) is the true first; the Cresset Press London edition followed in 1964 and is the first British edition, not the true first. Later Random House printings are shown by a changed printing statement on the copyright page in place of the FIRST PRINTING line; no significant book-club issue defines the point of this title.
• The Horse Knows the Way — 1964 · Random HouseCollection of stories. The true first (trade issue) carries FIRST PRINTING on the copyright page; later printings carry a printing history instead. Bound in cloth with silver spine lettering and a blue topstain; first-issue jacket unclipped with the printed price present on the flap. A separate signed limited issue of 250 numbered copies, specially bound and printed on special paper, was published simultaneously. United States Random House edition (1964) is the true first; the Cresset Press London edition followed in 1965. Note the distinct signed/numbered limited issue of 250 copies alongside the trade first. Later Random House printings are indicated by a revised printing statement on the copyright page rather than the FIRST PRINTING line; book-club copies lack the FIRST PRINTING statement.
• The Lockwood Concern — 1965 · Random HouseNovel. The trade first carries FIRST PRINTING on the copyright page. There is also a signed limited issue of 300 numbered copies signed by the author, with the limitation leaf bound in ahead of the half-title and issued in a publisher's slipcase. United States Random House edition (1965) is the true first; the Hodder & Stoughton London edition followed in 1966. The signed limited issue and the trade first both appeared in 1965. The book club edition lacks the FIRST PRINTING statement and is typically identified by a blind-stamped device in the rear board.
• Waiting for Winter — 1966 · Random HouseCollection of twenty-one stories, subtitled A Collection of 21 New Stories. The true first carries the words FIRST PRINTING on the copyright page; later printings substitute a printing history in its place. Bound in red cloth lettered in gilt; 466 pages. The first-issue dust jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap, but because these copies are commonly encountered price-clipped, the presence or…. The United States Random House edition (1966) is the true first; the Hodder & Stoughton London edition followed in 1967. Later Random House printings are indicated by a changed printing statement on the copyright page (a printing history) rather than the FIRST PRINTING line.
• The Instrument — 1967 · Random HouseFirst edition stated on the copyright page, with no later-printing indication. Issued in light-green cloth lettered in gilt with a first-issue dust jacket bearing the original unclipped price on the front flap. US first edition (Random House, 1967). A UK edition followed from Hodder & Stoughton in 1967. A separate signed limited issue of 300 specially printed and bound copies was also produced. A book club edition exists; it is typically thinner, lacks the price on the jacket flap, and may carry a blind-stamp on the rear board.
• And Other Stories — 1968 · Random HouseFirst edition, first printing as stated on the copyright page. Green linen binding lettered in gilt, green topstain, with a first-issue dust jacket carrying the original unclipped price on the front flap. US first edition (Random House, 1968); a UK edition followed from Hodder & Stoughton in 1969. This was the last story collection published in O'Hara's lifetime. Later printings are noted on the copyright page; a book club edition also exists and lacks the flap price.
• Lovey Childs: A Philadelphian's Story — 1969 · Random HouseTrade first issue has First Printing stated on the copyright page with no later-printing indication. Issued in cloth with a first-issue dust jacket bearing the original unclipped price on the front flap. US first edition (Random House, 1969); a UK edition followed from Hodder & Stoughton in 1970. A signed, numbered limited issue (approximately 200 copies) preceded or accompanied the trade printing and is the true first issue for collectors who distinguish the two. A book club edition exists and lacks the price on the jacket flap.
• The Ewings — 1972 · Random HouseFirst printing as stated on the copyright page, with no later-printing indication. Mustard cloth stamped in blue and gilt, green endpapers and topstain, with a first-issue dust jacket bearing the original unclipped price on the front flap. US first edition (Random House, 1972), published posthumously; a UK edition followed from Hodder & Stoughton in 1973. Later printings are indicated on the copyright page; a book club edition also exists and lacks the flap price.
• The Time Element and Other Stories — 1972 · Random HouseFirst printing as stated on the copyright page, with no later-printing indication. Green cloth with gilt lettering and green topstain, in a first-issue dust jacket bearing the original unclipped price on the front flap. US first edition (Random House, 1972), a posthumous gathering of stories not collected in book form during O'Hara's lifetime. Later printings are indicated on the copyright page.

More Literary Fiction (US) & Award Winners shelves: John P. Marquand, John Steinbeck, John Updike, John Williams, John Wyndham, Jonathan Franzen.

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