# Is "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay" by Michael Chabon a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon (Random House, 2000) is identified by: Copyright page states First Edition together with a number line whose lowest number is 2 (Random House's manner for a first printing when the First Edition statement is present). US Random House is the true first; the UK Fourth Estate edition followed.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Copyright page states First Edition together with a number line whose lowest number is 2 (Random House's manner for a first printing when the First Edition statement is present)
- Jacket carries the printed price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Michael Chabon |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 2000 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Copyright page states First Edition together with a number line whose lowest number is 2 (Random House's manner for a first printing when… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Copyright page states First Edition together with a number line whose lowest number is 2 (Random House's manner for a first printing when the First Edition statement is present). Jacket carries the printed price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
US Random House is the true first; the UK Fourth Estate edition followed. Note the Random House practice: a first printing shows First Edition together with a number line whose lowest digit is 2.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-of-the-Month Club editions exist: smaller in size, no price on the jacket flap, often with a blind-stamp to the rear board, and lacking the full number line and First Edition statement. Compare against a known trade first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay* by Michael Chabon a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-amazing-adventures-of-kavalier-clay
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.