# Is "Peter Simple" by Frederick Marryat a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Peter Simple by Frederick Marryat (Saunders and Otley, 1834) is identified by: First book edition, three volumes ('triple-decker' format), published by Saunders and Otley of Conduit Street, following prior serialization in monthly installments in the Metropolitan Magazine from June 1832 to September 1833 while Marryat edited that periodical. The Metropolitan Magazine serial installments (1832-33) preceded the 1834 three-volume book issue, but it is the 1834 Saunders and Otley book edition that constitutes the collectible first edition in book form.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First book edition, three volumes ('triple-decker' format), published by Saunders and Otley of Conduit Street, following prior serialization in monthly installments in the Metropolitan Magazine from June 1832 to September 1833 while Marryat edited that periodical
- The edition is catalogued as Sadleir 1592a, described as the 'first English edition,' in Michael Sadleir's XIX Century Fiction
- Genuine first-edition sets include the original half-titles in each volume, a feature frequently absent from rebound or incomplete copies offered on the market
- Publisher imprint reads Saunders and Otley
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Frederick Marryat |
| Publisher | Saunders and Otley |
| Year | 1834 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First book edition, three volumes ('triple-decker' format), published by Saunders and Otley of Conduit Street, following prior… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First book edition, three volumes ('triple-decker' format), published by Saunders and Otley of Conduit Street, following prior serialization in monthly installments in the Metropolitan Magazine from June 1832 to September 1833 while Marryat edited that periodical. The edition is catalogued as Sadleir 1592a, described as the 'first English edition,' in Michael Sadleir's XIX Century Fiction. Genuine first-edition sets include the original half-titles in each volume, a feature frequently absent from rebound or incomplete copies offered on the market.

## Is this the true first?
The Metropolitan Magazine serial installments (1832-33) preceded the 1834 three-volume book issue, but it is the 1834 Saunders and Otley book edition that constitutes the collectible first edition in book form.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Peter Simple* by Frederick Marryat a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/peter-simple
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.