# Is "Gerald's Party" by Robert Coover a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Gerald's Party by Robert Coover (Linden Press / Simon & Schuster, 1986) is identified by: First printing issued in publisher's cloth in a pictorial dust jacket that should retain its printed cover price. True first is the 1986 Linden Press / Simon & Schuster edition (ISBN 0671606557).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing issued in publisher's cloth in a pictorial dust jacket that should retain its printed cover price
- The first printing is identified by a complete number line ending in 1 on the copyright page together with the stated "First Edition," ISBN 0671606557
- Publisher imprint reads Linden Press / Simon & Schuster
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert Coover |
| Publisher | Linden Press / Simon & Schuster |
| Year | 1986 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing issued in publisher's cloth in a pictorial dust jacket that should retain its printed cover price |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First printing issued in publisher's cloth in a pictorial dust jacket that should retain its printed cover price. The first printing is identified by a complete number line ending in 1 on the copyright page together with the stated "First Edition," ISBN 0671606557.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 1986 Linden Press / Simon & Schuster edition (ISBN 0671606557). A William Heinemann UK edition also appeared in this period; sources differ on its exact year, but the US Linden Press printing is generally treated as the first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None notable; the stated "First Edition" with a number line ending in 1 distinguishes the first printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Gerald's Party* by Robert Coover a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/geralds-party
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.