# Is "Paradise" by Toni Morrison a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Paradise by Toni Morrison (Alfred A. Knopf, 1998) is identified by: Copyright page states "First Edition," published 1998. US Knopf printing of 1998 is the true first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Copyright page states "First Edition," published 1998
- Large octavo bound in black cloth stamped in copper-gilt with the author's initials to the front, fore-edges untrimmed; the dust jacket (design by Carol Devine Carson) carries the printed retail price
- Morrison's first novel after the Nobel Prize
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Toni Morrison |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1998 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Copyright page states "First Edition," published 1998 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Copyright page states "First Edition," published 1998. Large octavo bound in black cloth stamped in copper-gilt with the author's initials to the front, fore-edges untrimmed; the dust jacket (design by Carol Devine Carson) carries the printed retail price. Morrison's first novel after the Nobel Prize.

## Is this the true first?
US Knopf printing of 1998 is the true first edition. Signed copies exist (signed on the title page or via tipped-in bookplate from the tour), but a formal numbered Knopf signed limited edition is not reliably documented.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Paradise was a Book-of-the-Month Club main selection; the club edition lacks the stated First Edition and the printed jacket price and carries a blind stamp to the rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Paradise* by Toni Morrison a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/paradise
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.