The points of issue
Three volumes, published anonymously, half-titles present; the dedication to William Godwin; the famous misprints in vol. I. Volume I title page reads '1818.' Boards/original drab paper-covered boards with paper spine labels in untouched copies.
Is this the true first?
The 1818 three-volume first (anonymous, 500 copies) is the true first. The 1823 second edition first names Mary Shelley; the heavily revised 1831 one-volume edition is the common text but a much later 'first thus.' The 1818 first is one of the most valuable of all literary firsts.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The 1831 single-volume Colburn & Bentley 'Standard Novels' edition is frequently mistaken for an early first — it is not; it is a revised later text. Any one-volume copy, or any copy naming Mary Shelley on the title, is not the 1818 first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Frankenstein a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Three volumes, published anonymously, half-titles present; the dedication to William Godwin; the famous misprints in vol. I. Volume I title page reads '1818.' Boards/original drab paper-covered boards with paper spine labels in untouched copies.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The 1818 three-volume first (anonymous, 500 copies) is the true first. The 1823 second edition first names Mary Shelley; the heavily revised 1831 one-volume edition is the common text but a much later 'first thus.' The 1818 first is one of the most valuable of all literary firsts.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
The 1831 single-volume Colburn & Bentley 'Standard Novels' edition is frequently mistaken for an early first — it is not; it is a revised later text. Any one-volume copy, or any copy naming Mary Shelley on the title, is not the 1818 first.
I have a first edition of Frankenstein — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.