Is My Copy of Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness a First Edition?

The points of issue

• Random House, New York, first published August 1990
• Copyright page states 'FIRST EDITION' with Random House's odd/even split number line, the low numbers (including 1) present on the first printing
• Quarter maroon cloth over maroon paper boards with silver lettering to the front board and spine; approximately 84 pages
• First-issue dust jacket designed by Steven Snider, with the printed price present on the front flap; unclipped copies present as issued
• ISBN 0-394-58888-6
• Expanded by Styron from his Vanity Fair essay

How Random House marked a first edition

• Classic paradox era (c.1970–2002/03) — THE famous Random House rule: a true first printing states 'First Edition' AND carries a number line whose lowest digit is 2 — the line ENDS (or begins) in 2 and NEVER reaches 1, e.…
• Classic-era reprint mechanics (c.1970–2002/03): on going to a second printing Random House simply DELETED the words 'First Edition' from the copyright page and left the number line intact — so a bare '2'-ending line…

Full Random House first-edition guide →

How to verify your copy, step by step

1. Find the copyright page — the verso (back) of the title page.
2. Confirm the first-edition statement — look for “First Edition,” “First Printing,” or the publisher’s equivalent wording.
3. Read the number line — the lowest number is the printing. A line including 1 is a first printing (Random House deliberately ends at 2). Paste it into the decoder.
4. Verify this is the US true first — not a later-market or reprint edition.
5. Rule out a book-club edition — a blind-stamp on the rear board or a jacket with no printed price marks a book-club copy.
6. Photograph four things — the front cover, spine, title page, and copyright page — the standard record for identification.

The dust jacket

For a collectible first edition the dust jacket matters as much as the book. Confirm the jacket is present and unclipped — the printed price should still be at the corner of the flap (a clipped corner or a price-less flap can indicate a book-club issue). First-state jackets can differ from later ones in the cover art, blurbs, or review quotations; where a specific first-state jacket point is known for this title it is noted above.

Binding & format

Where multiple bindings exist, the hardcover trade issue is usually (but not always) the precedence copy — confirm against the points above. Later printings often show cheaper cloth, thinner boards, or simplified spine stamping. A simultaneous signed or limited issue, when one exists, is a distinct state from the trade first.

Is this the true first?

US first (Random House, 1990); the UK edition (Jonathan Cape, 1991) follows.P-033855

Telling it from reprints & book-club editions

Later printings drop 'FIRST EDITION' and advance the number line off the low numbers. No significant book-club issue is the usual hazard here; verify the stated 'FIRST EDITION' with the 1 present in the number line and the Steven Snider jacket.P-033856

Frequently asked questions

Is my copy of Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness a first edition?

A first edition of Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness by William Styron (Random House) is identified by: Random House, New York, first published August 1990.

How do I tell the first printing from a later one?

Check the copyright page. A number line whose lowest number is 1 marks a first printing (Random House ends at 2). US first (Random House, 1990); the UK edition (Jonathan Cape, 1991) follows.

Is the book-club edition the same as the first?

Later printings drop 'FIRST EDITION' and advance the number line off the low numbers. No significant book-club issue is the usual hazard here; verify the stated 'FIRST EDITION' with the 1 present in the number line and the Steven Snider jacket.

I have a first edition of Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness — what should I do?

First, document the copy: photograph the copyright page (the number line and any edition statement) and the dust-jacket flap. Confirm the points of issue above against your copy, and decode the printing with the free First Edition Checker. Clearing out books? I take them as a free donation and make sure collectible copies are identified, not discarded: free pickup in the Albuquerque metro (scheduled by route), the 24/7 drop box at 5445 Edith Blvd NE, or donor-paid mail-in from anywhere in the US. Questions? Call or text 505-250-3804.

Glossary

First edition

Every copy printed from the first setting of type. Collectors usually want the first edition, first printing (the true first).

First printing / impression

A single press run from that setting. The first printing is the earliest and most desirable; later printings are still the first edition but not the true first.

Number line (printer's key)

A row of numbers on the copyright page (e.g. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). The lowest number present is the printing — a line including 1 marks a first printing (Random House deliberately ends at 2).

Points of issue

Specific physical details — a stated edition, a number line, a typo, a jacket state — that identify the true first printing.

Book-club edition (BCE)

A reprint made for a book club. Tells include a blind-stamped dot or square on the rear board and a dust jacket with no printed price. Not the true first.

First thus

The first appearance of a particular version (first paperback, first illustrated, first U.S. printing) — a first of that kind, not the first edition of the work.