# Is "Seven Gothic Tales" by Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Seven Gothic Tales by Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen) (Harrison Smith & Robert Haas, New York, 1934) is identified by: First edition, first printing carries NO statement of printing on the copyright page (later printings add one). US edition (Harrison Smith & Robert Haas, New York, April 1934) is the true first in any language, preceding the first UK edition (Putnam, London, later in 1934) and the author's own Danish version (Syv fantastiske Fortaellinger, Gyldendal, Copenhagen, 1935).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first printing carries NO statement of printing on the copyright page (later printings add one)
- Publisher's binding is three-quarter red cloth over cream boards, front and spine panels stamped in gilt, top edge stained red, fore- and bottom edges rough-trimmed; the title-leaf and divisional leaves are printed in red and black
- The first-issue dust jacket is the F. J. Buttera pictorial design with the price present at the flap, and the volume carries Dorothy Canfield's introduction
- Because the book was written in English, this US edition is the first appearance in any language
- Publisher imprint reads Harrison Smith & Robert Haas, New York
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen) |
| Publisher | Harrison Smith & Robert Haas, New York |
| Year | 1934 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, first printing carries NO statement of printing on the copyright page (later printings add one) |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition, first printing carries NO statement of printing on the copyright page (later printings add one). Publisher's binding is three-quarter red cloth over cream boards, front and spine panels stamped in gilt, top edge stained red, fore- and bottom edges rough-trimmed; the title-leaf and divisional leaves are printed in red and black. The first-issue dust jacket is the F. J. Buttera pictorial design with the price present at the flap, and the volume carries Dorothy Canfield's introduction. Because the book was written in English, this US edition is the first appearance in any language.

## Is this the true first?
US edition (Harrison Smith & Robert Haas, New York, April 1934) is the true first in any language, preceding the first UK edition (Putnam, London, later in 1934) and the author's own Danish version (Syv fantastiske Fortaellinger, Gyldendal, Copenhagen, 1935). Two independent dealer bibliographies state the US edition 'precedes the British and Danish.'

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-of-the-Month Club April 1934 main selection, so the first printing was correspondingly large. Later BOMC 'classics' reissues exist with different boards/jacket and added printing data; distinguish the 1934 first trade issue by the priced Buttera jacket and the absence of any printing statement.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Seven Gothic Tales* by Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/seven-gothic-tales
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.