# Is "Good Morning, Midnight" by Jean Rhys a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Good Morning, Midnight by Jean Rhys (Constable, 1939) is identified by: First edition published by Constable, London, 1939 (standard bibliographic reference Mellown A5a). Constable (London) 1939 is the true and only period first; the novel had no American edition until the Harper & Row (New York) 1970 revival that followed Rhys's rediscovery.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition published by Constable, London, 1939 (standard bibliographic reference Mellown A5a)
- Two bindings occur within the first printing: the earlier issue is in purple cloth; a later issue, bound from remaining sheets during the war years, is in green cloth and lacks endpapers (a blank leaf present at the rear only, none at the front)
- Spine lettered in a contrasting color; issued in a priced dust jacket (price present at the front flap)
- Purple cloth has priority over the green
- Publisher imprint reads Constable
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Jean Rhys |
| Publisher | Constable |
| Year | 1939 |
| True first | American edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition published by Constable, London, 1939 (standard bibliographic reference Mellown A5a) |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition published by Constable, London, 1939 (standard bibliographic reference Mellown A5a). Two bindings occur within the first printing: the earlier issue is in purple cloth; a later issue, bound from remaining sheets during the war years, is in green cloth and lacks endpapers (a blank leaf present at the rear only, none at the front). Spine lettered in a contrasting color; issued in a priced dust jacket (price present at the front flap). Purple cloth has priority over the green.

## Is this the true first?
Constable (London) 1939 is the true and only period first; the novel had no American edition until the Harper & Row (New York) 1970 revival that followed Rhys's rediscovery. The 1970 Harper US edition is a separate, much later book, not a co-first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The 1939 Constable printing was never reprinted, so there is no contemporary book-club issue. Do not conflate the later André Deutsch reset reissue (1960s) or the Harper & Row 1970 US edition — both 'first thus' — with the 1939 first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Good Morning, Midnight* by Jean Rhys a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/good-morning-midnight
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.