The points of issue
Faulkner's second novel. Binding: navy blue cloth lettered in yellow on the spine and front cover, with yellow top stain and yellow endpapers. The copyright page of the first printing carries no indication of a later printing.
Is this the true first?
True US first; precedes the UK Chatto & Windus edition of 1964.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition. Later Boni & Liveright printings are identified by a printing notice on the copyright page; the first has none.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Mosquitoes a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Faulkner's second novel. Binding: navy blue cloth lettered in yellow on the spine and front cover, with yellow top stain and yellow endpapers. The copyright page of the first printing carries no indication of a later printing.
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. True US first; precedes the UK Chatto & Windus edition of 1964.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book club edition. Later Boni & Liveright printings are identified by a printing notice on the copyright page; the first has none.
I have a first edition of Mosquitoes — 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.