# Is "Seize the Day" by Saul Bellow a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Seize the Day by Saul Bellow (The Viking Press, 1956) is identified by: Yellow cloth and black paper boards, titles stamped in black on the spine and blind on the front cover, yellow topstain; the copyright page states publication in 1956 with no later-printing statement, and the first-issue jacket carries the printed retail price on the front flap. The US Viking Press edition is the true first, preceding the UK Weidenfeld & Nicolson edition of 1957.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Yellow cloth and black paper boards, titles stamped in black on the spine and blind on the front cover, yellow topstain; the copyright page states publication in 1956 with no later-printing statement, and the first-issue jacket carries the printed retail price on the front flap
- Contains the title novella plus three short stories and a one-act play
- Publisher imprint reads The Viking Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Saul Bellow |
| Publisher | The Viking Press |
| Year | 1956 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Yellow cloth and black paper boards, titles stamped in black on the spine and blind on the front cover, yellow topstain; the copyright page… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Yellow cloth and black paper boards, titles stamped in black on the spine and blind on the front cover, yellow topstain; the copyright page states publication in 1956 with no later-printing statement, and the first-issue jacket carries the printed retail price on the front flap. Contains the title novella plus three short stories and a one-act play.

## Is this the true first?
The US Viking Press edition is the true first, preceding the UK Weidenfeld & Nicolson edition of 1957.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club copies are typically identified by the absence of the printed jacket price and cheaper binding rather than by a reliable blind-stamp; compare the binding and jacket to a confirmed trade first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Seize the Day* by Saul Bellow a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/seize-the-day
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.