# Is "Suttree" by Cormac McCarthy a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Suttree by Cormac McCarthy (Random House, 1979) is identified by: 'First Edition' is stated on the copyright page ABOVE the publisher's number line; the first printing carries the full number line ending in 2 (Random House's convention of the 1970s-the printed price for a first printing), so the absence of a number line is NOT the point. US Random House is the true first; the UK Chatto & Windus edition (1980) follows.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- 'First Edition' is stated on the copyright page ABOVE the publisher's number line; the first printing carries the full number line ending in 2 (Random House's convention of the 1970s-the printed price for a first printing), so the absence of a number line is NOT the point
- Light yellow boards with a black cloth spine, gilt spine lettering, octavo, 471 pages
- First-issue dust jacket designed by Jack Ribik with the printed price on the front flap and the code 'the printed price' on the rear flap
- Many copies were remaindered with a red stamp to the textblock edge; unmarked copies are scarcer
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Cormac McCarthy |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1979 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | 'First Edition' is stated on the copyright page ABOVE the publisher's number line; the first printing carries the full number line ending… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
'First Edition' is stated on the copyright page ABOVE the publisher's number line; the first printing carries the full number line ending in 2 (Random House's convention of the 1970s-the printed price for a first printing), so the absence of a number line is NOT the point. Light yellow boards with a black cloth spine, gilt spine lettering, octavo, 471 pages. First-issue dust jacket designed by Jack Ribik with the printed price on the front flap and the code 'the printed price' on the rear flap. Many copies were remaindered with a red stamp to the textblock edge; unmarked copies are scarcer.

## Is this the true first?
US Random House is the true first; the UK Chatto & Windus edition (1980) follows.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No major book-club edition; later Vintage printings lack the 'First Edition' line and the number line ending in 2.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Suttree* by Cormac McCarthy a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/suttree
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.