The points of issue
Two volumes in green printed wrappers (Traveller's Companion Series nos. 66-67). True first issue has 'Francs: 900' printed on the rear cover of each volume, no price sticker/erasure. No printer's overprint correcting the price.
Is this the true first?
The Paris Olympia two-volume is the true world first. Later same-year copies were repriced to 1,200 francs (often via overstamp), making 900-franc copies the first issue. US first is Putnam 1958; UK first is Weidenfeld & Nicolson 1959.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Reprints/later printings carry the 1,200-franc price or a corrective overstamp; any single-volume English-language copy is a later edition, not the Olympia first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Lolita a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Two volumes in green printed wrappers (Traveller's Companion Series nos. 66-67). True first issue has 'Francs: 900' printed on the rear cover of each volume, no price sticker/erasure. No printer's overprint correcting the price.
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. The Paris Olympia two-volume is the true world first. Later same-year copies were repriced to 1,200 francs (often via overstamp), making 900-franc copies the first issue. US first is Putnam 1958; UK first is Weidenfeld & Nicolson 1959.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Reprints/later printings carry the 1,200-franc price or a corrective overstamp; any single-volume English-language copy is a later edition, not the Olympia first.
I have a first edition of Lolita — 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.