# Is "Monsieur, or The Prince of Darkness" by Lawrence Durrell a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Monsieur, or The Prince of Darkness by Lawrence Durrell (Faber & Faber, 1974) is identified by: First printing, Faber and Faber, London, 1974. UK Faber edition of 1974 is the true first; the US Viking edition followed in 1975.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing, Faber and Faber, London, 1974
- First volume of The Avignon Quintet; original boards, dust-jacket illustration by David Gentleman
- Winner of the James Tait Black Memorial Prize
- Publisher imprint reads Faber & Faber
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Lawrence Durrell |
| Publisher | Faber & Faber |
| Year | 1974 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing, Faber and Faber, London, 1974 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First printing, Faber and Faber, London, 1974. First volume of The Avignon Quintet; original boards, dust-jacket illustration by David Gentleman. Winner of the James Tait Black Memorial Prize.

## Is this the true first?
UK Faber edition of 1974 is the true first; the US Viking edition followed in 1975.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Monsieur, or The Prince of Darkness* by Lawrence Durrell a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/monsieur-or-the-prince-of-darkness
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.