The points of issue
New Directions, New York, 1949. Number 13 in the 'Direction' series; small format (16mo), 223 pages; gray cloth-textured paper-covered boards; introduction by Albert J. Guerard; the first printing carries no statement of a later printing. Issued in dust jacket. Hawkes's first novel.
Is this the true first?
The US New Directions edition is the true first. There is no preceding UK edition. The substantially revised 1962 New Directions edition is a 'first thus,' not the first edition.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition of consequence. The unaltered 1949 first-printing copyright page (with the Guerard introduction, not the later revised text) and the presence of the dust jacket are the key tells.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Cannibal a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: New Directions, New York, 1949. Number 13 in the 'Direction' series; small format (16mo), 223 pages; gray cloth-textured paper-covered boards; introduction by Albert J. Guerard; the first printing carries no statement of a later printing. Issued in dust jacket. Hawkes's first novel.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The US New Directions edition is the true first. There is no preceding UK edition. The substantially revised 1962 New Directions edition is a 'first thus,' not the first edition.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club edition of consequence. The unaltered 1949 first-printing copyright page (with the Guerard introduction, not the later revised text) and the presence of the dust jacket are the key tells.
I have a first edition of The Cannibal — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.