# Is "Justine" by Lawrence Durrell a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Justine by Lawrence Durrell (Faber & Faber, 1957) is identified by: First edition, first printing, of the opening volume of The Alexandria Quartet, in red cloth with gilt spine lettering and a pictorial dust jacket. UK Faber and Faber, London, 1957 is the true first and the first volume of The Alexandria Quartet; the US Dutton edition also appeared in 1957.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first printing, of the opening volume of The Alexandria Quartet, in red cloth with gilt spine lettering and a pictorial dust jacket
- The first-issue dust jacket is with its printed price and lacks the printer's hand device on the spine; later jackets are with its printed price The UK Faber 1957 edition precedes the US Dutton edition of 1957
- Publisher imprint reads Faber & Faber
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Lawrence Durrell |
| Publisher | Faber & Faber |
| Year | 1957 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, first printing, of the opening volume of The Alexandria Quartet, in red cloth with gilt spine lettering and a pictorial dust… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition, first printing, of the opening volume of The Alexandria Quartet, in red cloth with gilt spine lettering and a pictorial dust jacket. The first-issue dust jacket is with its printed price and lacks the printer's hand device on the spine; later jackets are with its printed price The UK Faber 1957 edition precedes the US Dutton edition of 1957.

## Is this the true first?
UK Faber and Faber, London, 1957 is the true first and the first volume of The Alexandria Quartet; the US Dutton edition also appeared in 1957.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club printings appeared later and are not the first edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Justine* by Lawrence Durrell a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/justine
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.