The points of issue
First UK edition in boards with gilt-lettered spine and dust jacket; complete number line descending to 1. Booker Prize shortlisted, 2019. The exact jacket price is not asserted here.
Is this the true first?
Jonathan Cape (London) first edition published 29 August 2019, preceding the US Random House edition of 3 September 2019.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings add an impression statement; the true first shows the full number line ending in 1.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Quichotte a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First UK edition in boards with gilt-lettered spine and dust jacket; complete number line descending to 1. Booker Prize shortlisted, 2019. The exact jacket price is not asserted here.
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. Jonathan Cape (London) first edition published 29 August 2019, preceding the US Random House edition of 3 September 2019.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later printings add an impression statement; the true first shows the full number line ending in 1.
I have a first edition of Quichotte — 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.