# Is "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer (Houghton Mifflin, 2005) is identified by: Copyright page carries the complete number line descending to 1 (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1); the presence of the numeral 1 marks the first printing. The US Houghton Mifflin hardcover (April 2005) is the true first; the UK Hamish Hamilton edition follows.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Copyright page carries the complete number line descending to 1 (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1); the presence of the numeral 1 marks the first printing
- Bound in cloth over boards; the text is interleaved throughout with found photographs and graphic devices, and closes with the distinctive flip-book sequence of images on the final leaves, a feature reproduced faithfully in the true first issue
- The first-issue dust jacket carries the printed retail price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Houghton Mifflin
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Jonathan Safran Foer |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin |
| Year | 2005 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Copyright page carries the complete number line descending to 1 (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1); the presence of the numeral 1 marks the first… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Copyright page carries the complete number line descending to 1 (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1); the presence of the numeral 1 marks the first printing. Bound in cloth over boards; the text is interleaved throughout with found photographs and graphic devices, and closes with the distinctive flip-book sequence of images on the final leaves, a feature reproduced faithfully in the true first issue. The first-issue dust jacket carries the printed retail price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
The US Houghton Mifflin hardcover (April 2005) is the true first; the UK Hamish Hamilton edition follows.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book-club edition; later reprints appear under paperback imprints, most commonly the Mariner/Houghton Mifflin softcover.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close* by Jonathan Safran Foer a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/extremely-loud-and-incredibly-close
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.