# Is "How to Be Alone: Essays" by Jonathan Franzen a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of How to Be Alone: Essays by Jonathan Franzen (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2002) is identified by: FSG 'First edition, 2002' statement on the copyright page with a number line ending in 1. US FSG first edition, 2002.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- FSG 'First edition, 2002' statement on the copyright page with a number line ending in 1
- Jacket priced 24.00 on the front flap
- Collection of fourteen essays, most previously published in periodicals
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Jonathan Franzen |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
| Year | 2002 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | FSG 'First edition, 2002' statement on the copyright page with a number line ending in 1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
FSG 'First edition, 2002' statement on the copyright page with a number line ending in 1. Jacket priced 24.00 on the front flap. Collection of fourteen essays, most previously published in periodicals.

## Is this the true first?
US FSG first edition, 2002.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book-club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *How to Be Alone: Essays* by Jonathan Franzen a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/how-to-be-alone-essays
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.