Is My Copy of The Assistant a First Edition?

The points of issue

• First edition, first printing: Farrar, Straus and Cudahy, New York, 1957
• The copyright page states 'First Printing, 1957' — the primary test
• Collation 246 pages, octavo (approx. 21.5cm)
• Bound with a black cloth spine over brown paper-covered boards, titling stamped in white and orange on the spine and front cover
• Dust jacket designed by Milton Glaser
• The jacket rear panel carries five book reviews — reviews of Malamud's first book, The Natural; one ABAA dealer designates this the first-state jacket, though a distinct later jacket state is asserted by only that single source and should be treated as unconfirmed

How Farrar, Straus and Cudahy marked a first edition

• ERA 3 - Farrar, Straus and Cudahy (1953-1963): Imprint line reads 'Farrar, Straus and Cudahy' after the 1953 Pellegrini & Cudahy merger. First printings state 'First Printing (year)' or 'First Published (year)' on the…

Full Farrar, Straus and Cudahy first-edition guide →

How to verify your copy, step by step

1. Find the copyright page — the verso (back) of the title page.
2. Confirm the first-edition statement — look for “First Edition,” “First Printing,” or the publisher’s equivalent wording.
3. Check for a number line or dated printing — the lowest number present is the printing; a dated first printing with no later printings listed is the tell.
4. Verify this is the US true first — not a later-market or reprint edition.
5. Rule out a book-club edition — a blind-stamp on the rear board or a jacket with no printed price marks a book-club copy.
6. Photograph four things — the front cover, spine, title page, and copyright page — the standard record for identification.

The dust jacket

For a collectible first edition the dust jacket matters as much as the book. Confirm the jacket is present and unclipped — the printed price should still be at the corner of the flap (a clipped corner or a price-less flap can indicate a book-club issue). First-state jackets can differ from later ones in the cover art, blurbs, or review quotations; where a specific first-state jacket point is known for this title it is noted above.

Binding & format

Where multiple bindings exist, the hardcover trade issue is usually (but not always) the precedence copy — confirm against the points above. Later printings often show cheaper cloth, thinner boards, or simplified spine stamping. A simultaneous signed or limited issue, when one exists, is a distinct state from the trade first.

Is this the true first?

The US Farrar, Straus and Cudahy 1957 edition is the true first. The first UK edition is Eyre & Spottiswoode, London, 1959 — corroborated by the Oregon State University Special Collections Malamud catalogue, which records the author's own copy — and is preceded by the American issue by two years. Do not confuse this title's straightforward precedence with the contested two-issue situation of Malamud's next book, The Magic Barrel (1958).

Telling it from reprints & book-club editions

No book club edition is documented in the sources consulted. The dependable test is the copyright-page statement: a copy lacking 'First Printing, 1957' is not the first printing.P-039190

Frequently asked questions

Is my copy of The Assistant a first edition?

A first edition of The Assistant by Bernard Malamud (Farrar, Straus and Cudahy) is identified by: First edition, first printing: Farrar, Straus and Cudahy, New York, 1957.

How do I tell the first printing from a later one?

Check the copyright page. A stated first edition, a number line ending in 1, or a dated first printing with no later printings listed is the key. The US Farrar, Straus and Cudahy 1957 edition is the true first.

Is the book-club edition the same as the first?

No book club edition is documented in the sources consulted. The dependable test is the copyright-page statement: a copy lacking 'First Printing, 1957' is not the first printing.

I have a first edition of The Assistant — what should I do?

First, document the copy: photograph the copyright page (the number line and any edition statement) and the dust-jacket flap. Confirm the points of issue above against your copy, and decode the printing with the free First Edition Checker. Clearing out books? I take them as a free donation and make sure collectible copies are identified, not discarded: free pickup in the Albuquerque metro (scheduled by route), the 24/7 drop box at 5445 Edith Blvd NE, or donor-paid mail-in from anywhere in the US. Questions? Call or text 505-250-3804.

Glossary

First edition

Every copy printed from the first setting of type. Collectors usually want the first edition, first printing (the true first).

First printing / impression

A single press run from that setting. The first printing is the earliest and most desirable; later printings are still the first edition but not the true first.

Number line (printer's key)

A row of numbers on the copyright page (e.g. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). The lowest number present is the printing — a line including 1 marks a first printing (Random House deliberately ends at 2).

Points of issue

Specific physical details — a stated edition, a number line, a typo, a jacket state — that identify the true first printing.

Book-club edition (BCE)

A reprint made for a book club. Tells include a blind-stamped dot or square on the rear board and a dust jacket with no printed price. Not the true first.

First thus

The first appearance of a particular version (first paperback, first illustrated, first U.S. printing) — a first of that kind, not the first edition of the work.