# Is "The Cape Cod Lighter" by John O'Hara a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Cape Cod Lighter by John O'Hara (Random House, 1962) is identified by: Collection of twenty-three stories. United States Random House edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Collection of twenty-three stories
- The true first carries the words FIRST PRINTING on the copyright page; this is the identifying point, as O'Hara's Random House titles of this period were so marked
- Later printings note a printing history instead
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John O'Hara |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1962 |
| True first | American edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Collection of twenty-three stories |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Collection of twenty-three stories. The true first carries the words FIRST PRINTING on the copyright page; this is the identifying point, as O'Hara's Random House titles of this period were so marked. Later printings note a printing history instead.

## Is this the true first?
United States Random House edition is the true first. The Cresset Press London edition (first English edition) followed and does not precede the American printing.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Random House printings are indicated by an altered printing statement on the copyright page rather than the FIRST PRINTING line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Cape Cod Lighter* by John O'Hara a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-cape-cod-lighter
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.