# Is "The Comfort of Strangers" by Ian McEwan a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Comfort of Strangers by Ian McEwan (Jonathan Cape, 1981) is identified by: Jonathan Cape, London, 1981, McEwan's second novel (134 pp). Jonathan Cape, London, 1981 is the true first; Simon & Schuster, New York, 1981 (ISBN 0-671-42850-0) is the first US edition and does not have precedence.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Jonathan Cape, London, 1981, McEwan's second novel (134 pp)
- Issued in publisher's cloth boards with gilt titling to the spine
- The first-issue dust jacket reproduces a Turner watercolour and should retain its printed net price on the flap (present, unclipped, for a first-issue jacket)
- The UK Cape edition precedes the first US edition, Simon & Schuster, New York, 1981
- Publisher imprint reads Jonathan Cape
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ian McEwan |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape |
| Year | 1981 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Jonathan Cape, London, 1981, McEwan's second novel (134 pp) |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Jonathan Cape, London, 1981, McEwan's second novel (134 pp). Issued in publisher's cloth boards with gilt titling to the spine. The first-issue dust jacket reproduces a Turner watercolour and should retain its printed net price on the flap (present, unclipped, for a first-issue jacket). The UK Cape edition precedes the first US edition, Simon & Schuster, New York, 1981.

## Is this the true first?
Jonathan Cape, London, 1981 is the true first; Simon & Schuster, New York, 1981 (ISBN 0-671-42850-0) is the first US edition and does not have precedence.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later impressions are noted on the copyright page; the US edition is distinguished by its Simon & Schuster imprint and dollar pricing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Comfort of Strangers* by Ian McEwan a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-comfort-of-strangers
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.