# Is "The Complete Stories" by Flannery O'Connor a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Complete Stories by Flannery O'Connor (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1971) is identified by: True first issued by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in 1971, with an introduction by Robert Giroux; it won the National Book Award for Fiction and includes several stories appearing in book form for the first time. US FSG first (1971) is the true first and the first-thus collected gathering of O'Connor's short fiction.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- True first issued by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in 1971, with an introduction by Robert Giroux; it won the National Book Award for Fiction and includes several stories appearing in book form for the first time
- Identify by the first-printing statement on the copyright page and a first-issue dust jacket (peacock design) carrying the original price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Flannery O'Connor |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
| Year | 1971 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | True first issued by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in 1971, with an introduction by Robert Giroux; it won the National Book Award for Fiction… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
True first issued by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in 1971, with an introduction by Robert Giroux; it won the National Book Award for Fiction and includes several stories appearing in book form for the first time. Identify by the first-printing statement on the copyright page and a first-issue dust jacket (peacock design) carrying the original price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
US FSG first (1971) is the true first and the first-thus collected gathering of O'Connor's short fiction.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A book-club edition exists, distinguishable by smaller/thinner boards, a blind-stamp on the rear board, and a price-clipped or unpriced flap; the true first carries the first-printing statement and a fully priced jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Complete Stories* by Flannery O'Connor a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-complete-stories
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.