# Is "Lonely for the Future" by James T. Farrell a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Lonely for the Future by James T. Farrell (Doubleday & Company, 1966) is identified by: 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page, following the standard Doubleday convention of the period. US first, published by Doubleday & Company at Garden City, New York, in 1966.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page, following the standard Doubleday convention of the period
- The first edition is bound in black cloth with gilt lettering to the spine, and runs to 263 pages
- The pictorial dust jacket, printed predominantly in black, carries the publisher's printed price on the front flap; a first-issue jacket should retain that printed price rather than being clipped
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday & Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | James T. Farrell |
| Publisher | Doubleday & Company |
| Year | 1966 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page, following the standard Doubleday convention of the period |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
'First Edition' stated on the copyright page, following the standard Doubleday convention of the period. The first edition is bound in black cloth with gilt lettering to the spine, and runs to 263 pages. The pictorial dust jacket, printed predominantly in black, carries the publisher's printed price on the front flap; a first-issue jacket should retain that printed price rather than being clipped.

## Is this the true first?
US first, published by Doubleday & Company at Garden City, New York, in 1966.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Doubleday printings omit the explicit 'First Edition' statement from the copyright page; the presence of that statement, together with the black cloth and 263-page collation, marks the first printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Lonely for the Future* by James T. Farrell a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/lonely-for-the-future
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.