Is My Excellent Women a First Edition?

The points of issue

• First edition published by Jonathan Cape, London, 1952 — Pym's second novel, following Some Tame Gazelle (Cape, 1950) — a 12mo of 256 pp. bound in blue cloth
• Issued in a priced dust jacket (price present at the front flap); the front flap carries a review blurb by Marghanita Laski (as reported in dealer descriptions)
• Copyright page carries the 'First published 1952' Cape imprint with no later-impression line

How Jonathan Cape marked a first edition

• First printings state "First published [Year]" or "First published in Great Britain [Year]" on the copyright page with NO additional impression lines and traditionally NO number line
• Later printings noted by added lines (e.g. 'Second impression [year]', 'Reprinted...') — their presence disqualifies a first

Full Jonathan Cape 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. Check for a number line or dated printing — the lowest number present is the printing; a dated first printing with no later printings listed is the tell.
4. Verify this is the American 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?

Jonathan Cape (London) 1952 is the true first; no American edition appeared for over two decades — eight US publishers declined the manuscript in the early 1950s — until E.P. Dutton (New York) issued the first American edition in 1978 amid Pym's rediscovery. The Cape first is the only period edition.

Telling it from reprints & book-club editions

No contemporary UK book-club issue is recorded for the 1952 first; the E.P. Dutton 1978 and later Cape/Penguin reissues are 'first thus' reprints, not the first edition. Confirm the 1952 Cape imprint and the priced first-flap jacket.

Frequently asked questions

Is my copy of Excellent Women a first edition?

A first edition of Excellent Women by Barbara Pym (Jonathan Cape) is identified by: First edition published by Jonathan Cape, London, 1952 — Pym's second novel, following Some Tame Gazelle (Cape, 1950) — a 12mo of 256 pp.

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

Check the copyright page. A stated first edition, a number line ending in 1, or a dated first printing with no later printings listed is the key. Jonathan Cape (London) 1952 is the true first; no American edition appeared for over two decades — eight US publishers declined the manuscript in the early 1950s — until E.P.

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

No contemporary UK book-club issue is recorded for the 1952 first; the E.P. Dutton 1978 and later Cape/Penguin reissues are 'first thus' reprints, not the first edition. Confirm the 1952 Cape imprint and the priced first-flap jacket.

I have a first edition of Excellent Women — what should I do?

First, document the copy: photograph the copyright page (the number line and any edition statement) and the dust-jacket flap — an unclipped, priced jacket matters. Confirm the points of issue above against your copy, and use the free First Edition Checker to decode the printing. To sell, the author’s collecting guide covers the market. And if you are clearing books in the Albuquerque area, the New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies are identified rather than discarded.

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.