# Is "Setting Free the Bears" by John Irving a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Setting Free the Bears by John Irving (Random House, 1968) is identified by: Random House first printing: "First Edition" stated on the copyright page together with a number line whose lowest number is 2 (Random House's house practice of dropping the 1 from the line on first printings). The US Random House edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Random House first printing: "First Edition" stated on the copyright page together with a number line whose lowest number is 2 (Random House's house practice of dropping the 1 from the line on first printings)
- The unclipped jacket carries the printed price
- Irving's first novel and his scarcest trade first edition; genuine firsts in a fine, unclipped jacket are uncommon
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Irving |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1968 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Random House first printing: "First Edition" stated on the copyright page together with a number line whose lowest number is 2 (Random… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Random House first printing: "First Edition" stated on the copyright page together with a number line whose lowest number is 2 (Random House's house practice of dropping the 1 from the line on first printings). The unclipped jacket carries the printed price. Irving's first novel and his scarcest trade first edition; genuine firsts in a fine, unclipped jacket are uncommon.

## Is this the true first?
The US Random House edition is the true first. No UK edition appeared until after the success of Garp, so the British issue follows by roughly a decade and has no precedence.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings and paperbacks lack the "First Edition" statement, and the number line will not retain a 2 as its lowest figure. Confirm both the statement and the number line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Setting Free the Bears* by John Irving a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/setting-free-the-bears
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.