# Is "The Abyss of Human Illusion" by Gilbert Sorrentino a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Abyss of Human Illusion by Gilbert Sorrentino (Coffee House Press, 2010) is identified by: First Coffee House Press printing; issued as a paperback original in wraps, priced on the lower cover. True first is the 2010 Coffee House Press paperback, published posthumously as Sorrentino's final novel.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First Coffee House Press printing; issued as a paperback original in wraps, priced on the lower cover
- Title taken from a line by Henry James; carries a preface by Christopher Sorrentino
- Publisher imprint reads Coffee House Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Gilbert Sorrentino |
| Publisher | Coffee House Press |
| Year | 2010 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First Coffee House Press printing; issued as a paperback original in wraps, priced on the lower cover |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First Coffee House Press printing; issued as a paperback original in wraps, priced on the lower cover. Title taken from a line by Henry James; carries a preface by Christopher Sorrentino.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 2010 Coffee House Press paperback, published posthumously as Sorrentino's final novel.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None notable; issued as a trade paperback original.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Abyss of Human Illusion* by Gilbert Sorrentino a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-abyss-of-human-illusion
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.