The points of issue
First edition, first printing; Grove Press, New York, 1979, with a priced pictorial dust jacket (jacket design and photography by Michael Werner). Red cloth boards with gilt spine lettering. First printing was 8,000 copies; the second Grove printing was 7,000. Sorrentino's best-known novel.
Is this the true first?
True first is the 1979 Grove Press edition, issued simultaneously in hardcover and softcover. UK edition: Marion Boyars, 1980.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A Quality Paperback Book Club issue exists; distinguish it from the Grove trade printings.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Mulligan Stew a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition, first printing; Grove Press, New York, 1979, with a priced pictorial dust jacket (jacket design and photography by Michael Werner). Red cloth boards with gilt spine lettering. First printing was 8,000 copies; the second Grove printing was 7,000. Sorrentino's best-known novel.
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 first is the 1979 Grove Press edition, issued simultaneously in hardcover and softcover. UK edition: Marion Boyars, 1980.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
A Quality Paperback Book Club issue exists; distinguish it from the Grove trade printings.
I have a first edition of Mulligan Stew — 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.