# Is "Boarding House Blues" by James T. Farrell a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Boarding House Blues by James T. Farrell (Paperback Library, 1961) is identified by: Paperback original, Paperback Library, 1961, in pictorial wraps with catalog designation S103; the S103 number appears on the front cover and spine. US first, issued as a paperback original by Paperback Library in 1961 with catalog number S103; there is no earlier hardcover edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Paperback original, Paperback Library, 1961, in pictorial wraps with catalog designation S103; the S103 number appears on the front cover and spine
- No hardcover edition precedes it, so this printing is the first appearance of the text in book form
- Publisher imprint reads Paperback Library
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | James T. Farrell |
| Publisher | Paperback Library |
| Year | 1961 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Paperback original, Paperback Library, 1961, in pictorial wraps with catalog designation S103; the S103 number appears on the front cover… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Paperback original, Paperback Library, 1961, in pictorial wraps with catalog designation S103; the S103 number appears on the front cover and spine. No hardcover edition precedes it, so this printing is the first appearance of the text in book form.

## Is this the true first?
US first, issued as a paperback original by Paperback Library in 1961 with catalog number S103; there is no earlier hardcover edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Identify the true first by the Paperback Library S103 catalog designation and the absence of later-printing notations; subsequent printings update the catalog/price line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Boarding House Blues* by James T. Farrell a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/boarding-house-blues
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.