# Is "Mourning Becomes Electra" by Eugene O'Neill a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Mourning Becomes Electra by Eugene O'Neill (Horace Liveright, 1931) is identified by: First published by Horace Liveright, New York, 1931 (the trilogy in one volume). The US Horace Liveright 1931 edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First published by Horace Liveright, New York, 1931 (the trilogy in one volume)
- A signed limited edition of 550 copies was also issued, bound in vellum with a black morocco gilt spine label and including facsimile leaves of O'Neill's working notes folded into a pocket at the rear
- The trade first printing has no later-printing statement on the copyright page
- Publisher imprint reads Horace Liveright
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Eugene O'Neill |
| Publisher | Horace Liveright |
| Year | 1931 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First published by Horace Liveright, New York, 1931 (the trilogy in one volume) |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First published by Horace Liveright, New York, 1931 (the trilogy in one volume). A signed limited edition of 550 copies was also issued, bound in vellum with a black morocco gilt spine label and including facsimile leaves of O'Neill's working notes folded into a pocket at the rear. The trade first printing has no later-printing statement on the copyright page.

## Is this the true first?
The US Horace Liveright 1931 edition is the true first. The signed, numbered limited edition of 550 copies in vellum is the premium collecting state and accompanies the trade issue; the UK Jonathan Cape edition is a separate, later first thus.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The trade first printing is distinguished by the absence of a printing history; the limited edition is identified by its limitation page and signature. No standard book-club edition is the collecting target.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Mourning Becomes Electra* by Eugene O'Neill a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/mourning-becomes-electra
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.