# Is "Nine Stories" by J.D. Salinger a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger (Little, Brown and Company, 1953) is identified by: First US edition, Little, Brown and Company (Boston), April 1953, about 302 pages. US Little, Brown is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First US edition, Little, Brown and Company (Boston), April 1953, about 302 pages
- The first printing states 'FIRST EDITION' on the copyright page with no later-printing statement
- Bound in black cloth with the spine stamped in gilt
- The first-issue dust jacket was designed by Miriam Woods and carries the printed price on the front flap (present, not clipped)
- Publisher imprint reads Little, Brown and Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | J.D. Salinger |
| Publisher | Little, Brown and Company |
| Year | 1953 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First US edition, Little, Brown and Company (Boston), April 1953, about 302 pages |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First US edition, Little, Brown and Company (Boston), April 1953, about 302 pages. The first printing states 'FIRST EDITION' on the copyright page with no later-printing statement. Bound in black cloth with the spine stamped in gilt. The first-issue dust jacket was designed by Miriam Woods and carries the printed price on the front flap (present, not clipped).

## Is this the true first?
US Little, Brown is the true first. The UK edition (Hamish Hamilton, 1953) was retitled 'For Esme with Love and Squalor' and is a separate publication, not the US first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club edition lacks the 'FIRST EDITION' statement, has no printed price on the jacket flap, and typically shows a blind-stamped mark impressed on the rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Nine Stories* by J.D. Salinger a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/nine-stories
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.