# Is "Paris Trout" by Pete Dexter a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Paris Trout by Pete Dexter (Random House, 1988) is identified by: "First Edition" stated on the copyright page together with a Random House number line whose lowest number present is 2 (the publisher's convention of this period, in which a line still showing the 2 denotes the first printing). The US Random House hardcover of 1988 is the true first; it won the 1988 National Book Award for Fiction.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- "First Edition" stated on the copyright page together with a Random House number line whose lowest number present is 2 (the publisher's convention of this period, in which a line still showing the 2 denotes the first printing)
- Bound in black boards with a black spine lettered and decorated in copper/gold foil
- The first-issue dust jacket carries the printed price at the top of the front flap and a date code at the foot of the rear flap; the price should be present and unclipped on a first-issue jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Pete Dexter |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1988 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | "First Edition" stated on the copyright page together with a Random House number line whose lowest number present is 2 (the publisher's… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
"First Edition" stated on the copyright page together with a Random House number line whose lowest number present is 2 (the publisher's convention of this period, in which a line still showing the 2 denotes the first printing). Bound in black boards with a black spine lettered and decorated in copper/gold foil. The first-issue dust jacket carries the printed price at the top of the front flap and a date code at the foot of the rear flap; the price should be present and unclipped on a first-issue jacket.

## Is this the true first?
The US Random House hardcover of 1988 is the true first; it won the 1988 National Book Award for Fiction.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions lack the "First Edition" statement and the number line, are printed on cheaper stock in a slightly smaller format, carry a blind-stamp (usually a small dot or square) to the rear board, and come in an unpriced jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Paris Trout* by Pete Dexter a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/paris-trout
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.