# Is "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood (McClelland & Stewart, 1988) is identified by: Canadian McClelland & Stewart first printing, October 1988, in blue cloth boards lettered in silver on the spine, 421 pages (ISBN 0771008171 / 9780771008177). True first is the Canadian M&S 1988 edition; Atwood is Canadian.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Canadian McClelland & Stewart first printing, October 1988, in blue cloth boards lettered in silver on the spine, 421 pages (ISBN 0771008171 / 9780771008177)
- Copyright page shows the first printing with no later-printing line; first-state jacket unclipped with the price on the flap
- Issued before the US Doubleday and UK editions of 1989
- Publisher imprint reads McClelland & Stewart
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Margaret Atwood |
| Publisher | McClelland & Stewart |
| Year | 1988 |
| True first | Canadian edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Canadian McClelland & Stewart first printing, October 1988, in blue cloth boards lettered in silver on the spine, 421 pages (ISBN… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Canadian McClelland & Stewart first printing, October 1988, in blue cloth boards lettered in silver on the spine, 421 pages (ISBN 0771008171 / 9780771008177). Copyright page shows the first printing with no later-printing line; first-state jacket unclipped with the price on the flap. Issued before the US Doubleday and UK editions of 1989.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the Canadian M&S 1988 edition; Atwood is Canadian. The US Doubleday and UK printings are 1989 firsts-thus. Finalist for the 1988 Governor General's Award and shortlisted for the 1989 Booker Prize. A signed limited edition of 500 copies was also issued.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Doubleday Book Club editions exist (blind-stamp on the rear board, no price on the jacket, often a gutter-code letter); these are not the true first regardless of any printed First Edition line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Cat's Eye* by Margaret Atwood a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/cats-eye
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.