# Is "Splendide-Hôtel" by Gilbert Sorrentino a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Splendide-Hôtel by Gilbert Sorrentino (New Directions, 1973) is identified by: Issued simultaneously in two states by New Directions in 1973: a clothbound issue that is a signed, numbered limited edition of 350 copies (signed by Sorrentino at the colophon, cream boards with light-blue cloth spine, clear acetate jacket), and the first New Directions paperback in wrappers. True first is the 1973 New Directions publication.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Issued simultaneously in two states by New Directions in 1973: a clothbound issue that is a signed, numbered limited edition of 350 copies (signed by Sorrentino at the colophon, cream boards with light-blue cloth spine, clear acetate jacket), and the first New Directions paperback in wrappers
- The clothbound copies should carry the limitation/signature; an unsigned cloth copy would not be the limited issue
- Publisher imprint reads New Directions
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Gilbert Sorrentino |
| Publisher | New Directions |
| Year | 1973 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Issued simultaneously in two states by New Directions in 1973: a clothbound issue that is a signed, numbered limited edition of 350 copies… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Issued simultaneously in two states by New Directions in 1973: a clothbound issue that is a signed, numbered limited edition of 350 copies (signed by Sorrentino at the colophon, cream boards with light-blue cloth spine, clear acetate jacket), and the first New Directions paperback in wrappers. The clothbound copies should carry the limitation/signature; an unsigned cloth copy would not be the limited issue.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 1973 New Directions publication. Both the limited signed clothbound issue and the simultaneous paperback are first printings; the clothbound is the limited issue of 350.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None notable.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Splendide-Hôtel* by Gilbert Sorrentino a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/splendide-h-tel
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.