# Is "Middlemarch" by George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Middlemarch by George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans) (William Blackwood and Sons, 1871-1872) is identified by: 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. The UK Blackwood issue is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- 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
- Publisher imprint reads William Blackwood and Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans) |
| Publisher | William Blackwood and Sons |
| Year | 1871-1872 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Issued in eight half-volume 'Books' in original printed paper wrappers, published bimonthly and irregularly from December 1871 to December… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## 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.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Middlemarch* by George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/middlemarch
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.