# Is "Farewell, My Lovely" by Raymond Chandler a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Farewell, My Lovely by Raymond Chandler (Alfred A. Knopf, 1940) is identified by: Copyright page states 'FIRST EDITION'. US Knopf 1940 is the true first, preceding the UK Hamish Hamilton edition of the same year.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Copyright page states 'FIRST EDITION'
- Bound in publisher's cloth (seen in both pink and orange states) with spine and front cover lettered in blue, the Borzoi/Knopf device stamped to the rear board, and the top edge stained blue
- The first printing comprised 7,500 copies, published 1 October 1940 (Bruccoli A2.1.a)
- The first-issue dust jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap; the price being intact is the point, its amount is not
- A scarce advance issue exists with the printed wrappers bound in behind the jacket, representing a small fraction of the first printing
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Raymond Chandler |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1940 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Copyright page states 'FIRST EDITION' |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Copyright page states 'FIRST EDITION'. Bound in publisher's cloth (seen in both pink and orange states) with spine and front cover lettered in blue, the Borzoi/Knopf device stamped to the rear board, and the top edge stained blue. The first printing comprised 7,500 copies, published 1 October 1940 (Bruccoli A2.1.a). The first-issue dust jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap; the price being intact is the point, its amount is not. A scarce advance issue exists with the printed wrappers bound in behind the jacket, representing a small fraction of the first printing.

## Is this the true first?
US Knopf 1940 is the true first, preceding the UK Hamish Hamilton edition of the same year. The US Knopf first is the preferred issue.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Reprints (Grosset & Dunlap, Tower, and later paperback/film tie-in editions) carry their own imprint and lack the Knopf 'FIRST EDITION' statement and the blue-lettered pink or orange Knopf binding.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Farewell, My Lovely* by Raymond Chandler a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/farewell-my-lovely
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.