# Is "Ethan Frome" by Edith Wharton a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton (Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1911) is identified by: First issue: copyright page reads 'Published September, 1911' as called for, with the Scribner seal. True US first; the US Scribner edition precedes the UK Macmillan edition of 1911.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First issue: copyright page reads 'Published September, 1911' as called for, with the Scribner seal
- The principal first-issue point is the word 'wearily' in perfect, unbroken type on page 135 (the type later broke); red cloth lettered in gilt
- Wharton bibliography reference Garrison A14
- First-issue dust jacket very scarce
- Publisher imprint reads Charles Scribner's Sons, New York
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Edith Wharton |
| Publisher | Charles Scribner's Sons, New York |
| Year | 1911 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First issue: copyright page reads 'Published September, 1911' as called for, with the Scribner seal |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First issue: copyright page reads 'Published September, 1911' as called for, with the Scribner seal. The principal first-issue point is the word 'wearily' in perfect, unbroken type on page 135 (the type later broke); red cloth lettered in gilt. Wharton bibliography reference Garrison A14. First-issue dust jacket very scarce.

## Is this the true first?
True US first; the US Scribner edition precedes the UK Macmillan edition of 1911.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition. Later printings show the broken type on page 135 and later notices.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Ethan Frome* by Edith Wharton a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/ethan-frome
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.