# Is "Briar Rose" by Robert Coover a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Briar Rose by Robert Coover (Grove Press, 1996) is identified by: First edition, first printing identified by a complete number line ending in 1. True first is the 1996 Grove Press hardcover (New York).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first printing identified by a complete number line ending in 1
- Hardcover in red paper-covered boards with black spine lettering, octavo, 86 pages, in a priced dust jacket
- A novella retelling Sleeping Beauty
- Publisher imprint reads Grove Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert Coover |
| Publisher | Grove Press |
| Year | 1996 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, first printing identified by a complete number line ending in 1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First edition, first printing identified by a complete number line ending in 1. Hardcover in red paper-covered boards with black spine lettering, octavo, 86 pages, in a priced dust jacket. A novella retelling Sleeping Beauty.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 1996 Grove Press hardcover (New York). A later Grove paperback edition exists and should not be confused with the first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None notable.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Briar Rose* by Robert Coover a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/briar-rose
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.