# Is "Henderson the Rain King" by Saul Bellow a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Henderson the Rain King by Saul Bellow (The Viking Press, 1959) is identified by: Copyright page states 'Published in 1959 by The Viking Press' with no statement of a later printing. US Viking is the true first, preceding the UK Weidenfeld & Nicolson edition of 1959.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Copyright page states 'Published in 1959 by The Viking Press' with no statement of a later printing
- First issue has a yellow top-stain (top edge stained yellow), beige quarter linen spine with orange cloth boards
- First-issue dust jacket (illustrated by Bill Preston) carries the printed price on the front flap and three blurbs about Saul Bellow as a novelist on the rear panel
- Publisher imprint reads The Viking Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Saul Bellow |
| Publisher | The Viking Press |
| Year | 1959 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Copyright page states 'Published in 1959 by The Viking Press' with no statement of a later printing |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Copyright page states 'Published in 1959 by The Viking Press' with no statement of a later printing. First issue has a yellow top-stain (top edge stained yellow), beige quarter linen spine with orange cloth boards. First-issue dust jacket (illustrated by Bill Preston) carries the printed price on the front flap and three blurbs about Saul Bellow as a novelist on the rear panel.

## Is this the true first?
US Viking is the true first, preceding the UK Weidenfeld & Nicolson edition of 1959.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club issue is typically blind-stamped on the rear board and comes in a price-clipped or unpriced jacket; it lacks the first-issue jacket points.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Henderson the Rain King* by Saul Bellow a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/henderson-the-rain-king
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.