# Is "The Big Sleep" by Raymond Chandler a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler (Alfred A. Knopf, 1939) is identified by: First printing (Bruccoli A1.1.a), collating [viii], 277, [1, note on the type], [2, blank] pages, with 'FIRST EDITION' and the Borzoi device on the copyright page and the line 'Published February, 1939.' Bound in publisher's orange V-cloth, the spine and front board lettered and decorated in blue with the Borzoi device stamped in blue on the rear board, and the top edge stained blue. US Knopf, February 1939, is the true first (Bruccoli A1.1.a); the UK edition (Hamish Hamilton, 1939) follows.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing (Bruccoli A1.1.a), collating [viii], 277, [1, note on the type], [2, blank] pages, with 'FIRST EDITION' and the Borzoi device on the copyright page and the line 'Published February, 1939.' Bound in publisher's orange V-cloth, the spine and front board lettered and decorated in blue with the Borzoi device stamped in blue on the rear board, and the top edge stained blue
- First-issue dust jacket bears the Hans J. Barschel artwork, carries its printed price on the front flap, and shows the correct first-state design without later review blurbs
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Raymond Chandler |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1939 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing (Bruccoli A1.1.a), collating [viii], 277, [1, note on the type], [2, blank] pages, with 'FIRST EDITION' and the Borzoi… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing (Bruccoli A1.1.a), collating [viii], 277, [1, note on the type], [2, blank] pages, with 'FIRST EDITION' and the Borzoi device on the copyright page and the line 'Published February, 1939.' Bound in publisher's orange V-cloth, the spine and front board lettered and decorated in blue with the Borzoi device stamped in blue on the rear board, and the top edge stained blue. First-issue dust jacket bears the Hans J. Barschel artwork, carries its printed price on the front flap, and shows the correct first-state design without later review blurbs.

## Is this the true first?
US Knopf, February 1939, is the true first (Bruccoli A1.1.a); the UK edition (Hamish Hamilton, 1939) follows. Chandler's first book and a Haycraft-Queen cornerstone; author-signed firsts are scarce.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club copies are blind-stamped on the rear board, lack the 'Published February, 1939' line, and are issued in unpriced jackets; they also differ in cloth and board weight from the Knopf trade first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Big Sleep* by Raymond Chandler a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-big-sleep
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.