The points of issue
First edition has the FSG number line ending in '1'. Original jacket priced the printed price. Pulitzer Prize winner. Oprah's Book Club selection — Oprah-seal jacket copies are a later jacket state.
Is this the true first?
US FSG is the true first; UK Bloomsbury is later. First-state jacket lacks the printed Oprah's Book Club seal.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Oprah's Book Club printings carry the printed Oprah seal on the jacket; book-club editions lack the full number line and have a blind-stamp.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Middlesex a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition has the FSG number line ending in '1'. Original jacket priced the printed price. Pulitzer Prize winner. Oprah's Book Club selection — Oprah-seal jacket copies are a later jacket state.
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. US FSG is the true first; UK Bloomsbury is later. First-state jacket lacks the printed Oprah's Book Club seal.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Oprah's Book Club printings carry the printed Oprah seal on the jacket; book-club editions lack the full number line and have a blind-stamp.
I have a first edition of Middlesex — 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.