# Is "The Art of the Novel" by Milan Kundera a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Art of the Novel by Milan Kundera (Grove Press, 1988) is identified by: First American edition, Grove Press, New York, 1988 (hardcover); translated from the French by Linda Asher, running to 165 pages. First English-language edition of the essay collection L'art du roman (Gallimard, 1986).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First American edition, Grove Press, New York, 1988 (hardcover); translated from the French by Linda Asher, running to 165 pages
- The first printing is identified by a full number line on the copyright page and is bound in red cloth over gray boards, the spine stamped in silver
- The first-state dust jacket carries the printed cover price on the front flap, which should be present and unclipped on an unrestored copy
- Publisher imprint reads Grove Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Milan Kundera |
| Publisher | Grove Press |
| Year | 1988 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First American edition, Grove Press, New York, 1988 (hardcover); translated from the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First American edition, Grove Press, New York, 1988 (hardcover); translated from the French by Linda Asher, running to 165 pages. The first printing is identified by a full number line on the copyright page and is bound in red cloth over gray boards, the spine stamped in silver. The first-state dust jacket carries the printed cover price on the front flap, which should be present and unclipped on an unrestored copy.

## Is this the true first?
First English-language edition of the essay collection L'art du roman (Gallimard, 1986). A Harper & Row Perennial paperback (Grove-licensed Perennial trade paper) also appeared in 1988; the Grove Press hardcover is the true first English-language edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition documented; confirm the first printing by the full number line on the copyright page. Later Grove and Harper Perennial issues drop the complete number line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Art of the Novel* by Milan Kundera a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-art-of-the-novel
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.