# Is "Strangers on a Train" by Patricia Highsmith a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith (Harper & Brothers, 1950) is identified by: US Harper first, 1950. US Harper 1950 is the true first, preceding the UK Cresset Press edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Harper first, 1950
- Harper used a printer's code (a letter-pair) at the foot of the last text page denoting month/year of printing; the first printing carries the code for 1950
- First-state dust jacket with its printed price
- Highsmith's debut novel
- Publisher imprint reads Harper & Brothers
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Patricia Highsmith |
| Publisher | Harper & Brothers |
| Year | 1950 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Harper first, 1950 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US Harper first, 1950. Harper used a printer's code (a letter-pair) at the foot of the last text page denoting month/year of printing; the first printing carries the code for 1950. First-state dust jacket with its printed price. Highsmith's debut novel.

## Is this the true first?
US Harper 1950 is the true first, preceding the UK Cresset Press edition. The US first is the desirable copy; basis for Hitchcock's 1951 film.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book Club editions lack the Harper code on the last page and have a rear-board blind stamp. Confirm by the Harper printer's code denoting the earliest date and the priced first-state jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Strangers on a Train* by Patricia Highsmith a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/strangers-on-a-train
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.