# Is "Bonjour Tristesse" by Françoise Sagan a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Bonjour Tristesse by Françoise Sagan (René Julliard, Paris, 1954) is identified by: The true first is the French-language edition, published by René Julliard, Paris, in 1954, in printed wrappers (broché); the édition originale includes a limited numbered large-paper issue on special paper (grand papier) that precedes the ordinary trade printing. French true first is unambiguous: René Julliard, Paris, 1954.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The true first is the French-language edition, published by René Julliard, Paris, in 1954, in printed wrappers (broché); the édition originale includes a limited numbered large-paper issue on special paper (grand papier) that precedes the ordinary trade printing
- The first English edition uses Irene Ash's translation and appeared in 1955 from two houses — E.P. Dutton (New York) and John Murray (London)
- On the Dutton first American printing the copyright page carries NO printing statement; later printings are stated on the copyright page and the dust-jacket flap (e.g., 'second/third/fourth printing'), so a true first shows no such line, and the American issue is bound in red cloth with a priced dust jacket
- Publisher imprint reads René Julliard, Paris
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Françoise Sagan |
| Publisher | René Julliard, Paris |
| Year | 1954 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The true first is the French-language edition, published by René Julliard, Paris, in 1954, in printed wrappers (broché); the édition… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
The true first is the French-language edition, published by René Julliard, Paris, in 1954, in printed wrappers (broché); the édition originale includes a limited numbered large-paper issue on special paper (grand papier) that precedes the ordinary trade printing. The first English edition uses Irene Ash's translation and appeared in 1955 from two houses — E.P. Dutton (New York) and John Murray (London). On the Dutton first American printing the copyright page carries NO printing statement; later printings are stated on the copyright page and the dust-jacket flap (e.g., 'second/third/fourth printing'), so a true first shows no such line, and the American issue is bound in red cloth with a priced dust jacket.

## Is this the true first?
French true first is unambiguous: René Julliard, Paris, 1954. The census hypothesis that John Murray (UK) precedes Dutton (US) appears reversed for the English translation: the Dutton (New York) edition was published early 1955 and ran to four printings within February–March 1955, while the John Murray (London) edition is recorded later in 1955 (reviewed in The Times, 19 May 1955) — so the US edition most likely precedes in English. Both English editions carry the same Irene Ash translation and are collected.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club first is documented. Note that later Dutton printings are explicitly stated on the copyright page and jacket flap; these are trade reprints, not book-club issues, and are frequently mis-described as firsts.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Bonjour Tristesse* by Françoise Sagan a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/bonjour-tristesse
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.