# Is "Rabbit, Run" by John Updike a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Rabbit, Run by John Updike (Alfred A. Knopf, 1960) is identified by: First edition states 'FIRST EDITION' on the copyright page with the Knopf Borzoi device. US Knopf is the true first; UK Deutsch (1961) is later, and the UK edition's text was bowdlerized while the US first carries the franker passages — a recognized textual distinction.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition states 'FIRST EDITION' on the copyright page with the Knopf Borzoi device
- The first printing contains the unexpurgated text that Knopf later toned down; original jacket with its printed price
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Updike |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1960 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition states 'FIRST EDITION' on the copyright page with the Knopf Borzoi device |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition states 'FIRST EDITION' on the copyright page with the Knopf Borzoi device. The first printing contains the unexpurgated text that Knopf later toned down; original jacket with its printed price.

## Is this the true first?
US Knopf is the true first; UK Deutsch (1961) is later, and the UK edition's text was bowdlerized while the US first carries the franker passages — a recognized textual distinction.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club edition lacks 'FIRST EDITION', has a blind-stamp, and is on bulkier paper.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Rabbit, Run* by John Updike a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/rabbit-run
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.