# Is "Cathedral" by Raymond Carver a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Cathedral by Raymond Carver (Alfred A. Knopf, 1983) is identified by: Identify the first by a STATED "First Edition" on the copyright page (confirmed by ABAA dealers), NOT by a "number line ending 1" — that claim is unsupported and misleading for this Knopf title. US Knopf is the true first; UK Collins (1984) is later.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Identify the first by a STATED "First Edition" on the copyright page (confirmed by ABAA dealers), NOT by a "number line ending 1" — that claim is unsupported and misleading for this Knopf title. the printed price front-flap price is CONFIRMED. The Borzoi colophon is present but is not a point of issue distinguishing printings
- The "signed limited edition exists" claim is UNSUPPORTED and should be removed: all signed copies are trade firsts signed in person (e.g., "Raymond Carver / the printed price/83"); no separate numbered/limited issue exists
- The true-first note is correct (US Knopf 1983 over UK 1984), but the UK publisher is Collins Harvill / Harvill Press, not "Collins" alone, and there is no signed/limited state — the premium is simply a fine signed trade first in a fine unclipped the printed price jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Raymond Carver |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1983 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Identify the first by a STATED "First Edition" on the copyright page (confirmed by ABAA dealers), NOT by a "number line ending 1" — that… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Identify the first by a STATED "First Edition" on the copyright page (confirmed by ABAA dealers), NOT by a "number line ending 1" — that claim is unsupported and misleading for this Knopf title. the printed price front-flap price is CONFIRMED. The Borzoi colophon is present but is not a point of issue distinguishing printings. The "signed limited edition exists" claim is UNSUPPORTED and should be removed: all signed copies are trade firsts signed in person (e.g., "Raymond Carver / the printed price/83"); no separate numbered/limited issue exists. The true-first note is correct (US Knopf 1983 over UK 1984), but the UK publisher is Collins Harvill / Harvill Press, not "Collins" alone, and there is no signed/limited state — the premium is simply a fine signed trade first in a fine unclipped the printed price jacket.

## Is this the true first?
US Knopf is the true first; UK Collins (1984) is later. The signed/limited issue is the premium state.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club edition lacks the full Knopf number line, has a blind-stamp, and a price-absent jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Cathedral* by Raymond Carver a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/cathedral
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.