The points of issue
Issued in eight half-volume 'Books' in original printed paper wrappers, published bimonthly and irregularly from December 1871 to December 1872, an experimental serial-in-parts format. Each Book has its own title and number. First-issue points centre on the eight parts in original wrappers with their advertisements (advertisement states vary between parts), and an errata slip present in Book IV. The four-volume bound cloth edition (volume I dated 1871, volumes II to IV dated 1872) was issued in parallel.
Is this the true first?
The UK Blackwood issue is the true first. The eight original parts in printed wrappers are the earliest state, issued in parallel with the four-volume cloth edition; no American printing precedes it in book form.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later one- and two-volume reprints and the Cabinet edition are not the first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Middlemarch a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Issued in eight half-volume 'Books' in original printed paper wrappers, published bimonthly and irregularly from December 1871 to December 1872, an experimental serial-in-parts format. Each Book has its own title and number. First-issue points centre on the eight parts in original wrappers with their advertisements (advertisement states vary between parts), and an errata slip present in Book IV. The four-volume bound cloth edition (volume I dated 1871, volumes II to IV dated 1872) was issued in parallel.
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 UK Blackwood issue is the true first. The eight original parts in printed wrappers are the earliest state, issued in parallel with the four-volume cloth edition; no American printing precedes it in book form.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later one- and two-volume reprints and the Cabinet edition are not the first.
I have a first edition of Middlemarch — 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.