2 Ken Kesey first editions are documented on this shelf, from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1962) to Sometimes a Great Notion (1964). Each linked guide gives the points of issue that separate a true first printing of that Ken Kesey title from later printings and book-club copies — the publisher and year to expect, the number-line or edition-statement conventions, and the tells that show up in online listings.

Identification only, per the house rule: no prices and no appraisals here. Checking a Ken Kesey copy in hand? Type the title into the First-Edition Checker or photograph the copyright page with Snap & Sort.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest — 1962 · The Viking PressKesey's first novel. Copyright page reads 'Published in 1962 by The Viking Press, Inc.' with no later-printing statement. Bright green cloth lettered in yellow on the spine, top edge stained peach. First-state text points (removed in later printings after a lawsuit): the 'fool Red Cross woman' wording at page 9 and the 'Gwen-doe-lin' Red Cross-woman passage at pages 85-86. First-issue dust jacket carries the…. US Viking is the true first, preceding the UK Methuen 1962 edition. The pre-revision textual states are the decisive first-issue points beyond binding and jacket. The Book-of-the-Month/club edition lacks the 'Published in 1962' first-state copyright wording, has no price on the jacket, carries the revised (post-lawsuit) text, shows a blind-stamp dot on the rear board, and uses cheaper boards.
Sometimes a Great Notion — 1964 · The Viking PressCopyright page reads 'Published in 1964 by The Viking Press, Inc.' with no later-printing statement. Bound in speckled grey cloth stamped in blue and green (a square face with two K's forming the eyes on the front board), top edge stained green, 628 pages. First-state dust jacket designed by Paul Bacon, unclipped with the printed price intact; the decisive first-state jacket point is the photographer's name…. US Viking is the true first, preceding the UK Methuen 1966 edition. The book-club edition lacks the first-state copyright wording and the jacket price, and is blind-stamped on the rear board; it does not carry the 'Hank Krangler' rear-flap state.

More Literary Fiction (US) & Award Winners shelves: Kingsley Amis, Kurt Vonnegut, Larry Brown, Larry Niven, Lawrence Durrell, Lee Smith.

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