The points of issue
Issued as a Mariner Books (Houghton Mifflin) trade-paperback original; the true first is the paperback original, with a full number line on the copyright page and no reference to the Pulitzer Prize. Lahiri's debut.
Is this the true first?
Lahiri's debut. The desirable first is the 1999 Mariner paperback original; there was no simultaneous US hardcover trade first. A hardcover appeared only just after the Pulitzer announcement, so the paperback original precedes it. The UK Flamingo edition follows.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition in the classic sense; later printings show a shortened number line, and the post-Pulitzer hardcover and later softcovers reference the prize. Watch for later hardcover reissues offered as the true first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Interpreter of Maladies a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Issued as a Mariner Books (Houghton Mifflin) trade-paperback original; the true first is the paperback original, with a full number line on the copyright page and no reference to the Pulitzer Prize. Lahiri's debut.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. Lahiri's debut. The desirable first is the 1999 Mariner paperback original; there was no simultaneous US hardcover trade first. A hardcover appeared only just after the Pulitzer announcement, so the paperback original precedes it. The UK Flamingo edition follows.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club edition in the classic sense; later printings show a shortened number line, and the post-Pulitzer hardcover and later softcovers reference the prize. Watch for later hardcover reissues offered as the true first.
I have a first edition of Interpreter of Maladies — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.