# Is "The Boys from Brazil" by Ira Levin a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Boys from Brazil by Ira Levin (Random House, 1976) is identified by: The first printing's copyright page carries the 'First Edition' statement together with a Random House number line whose lowest digit is 2 — fedpo.com records the line as '2 4 6 8 7 5 3' with 'FIRST EDITION' stated below it. The census claim is confirmed: US Random House (New York) is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The first printing's copyright page carries the 'First Edition' statement together with a Random House number line whose lowest digit is 2 — fedpo.com records the line as '2 4 6 8 7 5 3' with 'FIRST EDITION' stated below it
- This is the well-documented Random House quirk in force from roughly 1970 to 2002-03: the 'First Edition' statement stands in for the 1, so the second printing is the same book with the statement deleted, leaving 2 as the low number
- The practical test is therefore the statement, not the line: a copy showing the number line but no 'First Edition' statement is a later printing, and counter-intuitively a 1 in the line for Random House in these years indicates a later printing
- Binding: octavo (approx
- 21.5cm), black cloth spine over gray paper-covered boards, spine titled in silver, with a decorative element (the swastika device) blind-embossed on the front board
- 312 pages
- Publisher imprint reads Random House

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ira Levin |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1976 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The first printing's copyright page carries the 'First Edition' statement together with a Random House number line whose lowest digit is 2… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The first printing's copyright page carries the 'First Edition' statement together with a Random House number line whose lowest digit is 2 — fedpo.com records the line as '2 4 6 8 7 5 3' with 'FIRST EDITION' stated below it. This is the well-documented Random House quirk in force from roughly 1970 to 2002-03: the 'First Edition' statement stands in for the 1, so the second printing is the same book with the statement deleted, leaving 2 as the low number. The practical test is therefore the statement, not the line: a copy showing the number line but no 'First Edition' statement is a later printing, and counter-intuitively a 1 in the line for Random House in these years indicates a later printing. Binding: octavo (approx. 21.5cm), black cloth spine over gray paper-covered boards, spine titled in silver, with a decorative element (the swastika device) blind-embossed on the front board; 312 pages. Jacket designed by Paul Bacon with photograph by Bill Lulow; a first-issue jacket is a priced jacket with the price present at the flap (unclipped).

## Is this the true first?
The census claim is confirmed: US Random House (New York) is the true first. It was published March 8, 1976 per Kirkus and reviewed in The New York Times 'Books of The Times' column on March 10, 1976; the UK first from Michael Joseph (London) followed in April 1976 and is separately collected in Britain. Michael Joseph firsts of the period are identified by a 'First published in Great Britain (month, year)' statement on the copyright page, with subsequent printings noted (Quill & Brush). Caution: the Wikipedia infobox gives '21 October 1976' for the Random House edition, which contradicts both the Kirkus release date and the March 1976 NYT review and should not be relied on. First-thus traps: the 1978 film tie-in issue and the later Pegasus Crime Classics reprint.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club printings of this title circulate but no title-specific club collation was located in the sources consulted. Only the general club tells apply — no price present at the jacket flap, a blind-stamped device or dot to the rear board, and lighter bulk/thinner paper than the trade issue. Do not assert a title-specific club point beyond this.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Boys from Brazil* by Ira Levin a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-boys-from-brazil
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.