# Is "Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness" by William Styron a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness by William Styron (Random House, 1990) is identified by: Random House, New York, first published August 1990. US first (Random House, 1990); the UK edition (Jonathan Cape, 1991) follows.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- 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
- Publisher imprint reads Random House

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | William Styron |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1990 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Random House, New York, first published August 1990 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## 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.

## Is this the true first?
US first (Random House, 1990); the UK edition (Jonathan Cape, 1991) follows.

## 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.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness* by William Styron a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/darkness-visible-a-memoir-of-madness
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.