# Is "Inherent Vice" by Thomas Pynchon a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Inherent Vice by Thomas Pynchon (The Penguin Press, 2009) is identified by: Copyright page states "First Edition" with a complete number line ending in 1; the dust jacket carries the printed retail price. US The Penguin Press printing of 2009 is the true first edition, published August 2009.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Copyright page states "First Edition" with a complete number line ending in 1; the dust jacket carries the printed retail price
- A true first printing shows both the stated First Edition and the full number line retaining the 1
- Publisher imprint reads The Penguin Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Thomas Pynchon |
| Publisher | The Penguin Press |
| Year | 2009 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Copyright page states "First Edition" with a complete number line ending in 1; the dust jacket carries the printed retail price |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Copyright page states "First Edition" with a complete number line ending in 1; the dust jacket carries the printed retail price. A true first printing shows both the stated First Edition and the full number line retaining the 1.

## Is this the true first?
US The Penguin Press printing of 2009 is the true first edition, published August 2009.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings drop the 1 from the number line or otherwise indicate a later printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Inherent Vice* by Thomas Pynchon a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/inherent-vice
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.