# Is "The Blithedale Romance" by Nathaniel Hawthorne a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Blithedale Romance by Nathaniel Hawthorne (Ticknor, Reed & Fields, 1852) is identified by: First American edition in publisher's brown cloth, 1852, Ticknor, Reed & Fields imprint, with the rear ad catalogue. Precedence by date belongs to the London Chapman & Hall two-volume edition, published 7 July 1852, which preceded the Boston Ticknor, Reed & Fields edition of 14 July 1852 by roughly a week.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First American edition in publisher's brown cloth, 1852, Ticknor, Reed & Fields imprint, with the rear ad catalogue
- A recognized issue point on the Boston edition is the copyright page reading 'Massachusetts' positioned directly opposite the words 'do not wish' on the first page of the Preface
- The London Chapman & Hall two-volume edition was issued about a week earlier to secure English copyright
- Publisher imprint reads Ticknor, Reed & Fields
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Nathaniel Hawthorne |
| Publisher | Ticknor, Reed & Fields |
| Year | 1852 |
| True first | American edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First American edition in publisher's brown cloth, 1852, Ticknor, Reed & Fields imprint, with the rear ad catalogue |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First American edition in publisher's brown cloth, 1852, Ticknor, Reed & Fields imprint, with the rear ad catalogue. A recognized issue point on the Boston edition is the copyright page reading 'Massachusetts' positioned directly opposite the words 'do not wish' on the first page of the Preface. The London Chapman & Hall two-volume edition was issued about a week earlier to secure English copyright.

## Is this the true first?
Precedence by date belongs to the London Chapman & Hall two-volume edition, published 7 July 1852, which preceded the Boston Ticknor, Reed & Fields edition of 14 July 1852 by roughly a week. Collectors distinguish the first English from the first American; the English is the earliest by date.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later single-volume reprints lack the two-volume London format and lack the 1852 Boston imprint and rear catalogue.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Blithedale Romance* by Nathaniel Hawthorne a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-blithedale-romance
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.