# Is "The Crying of Lot 49" by Thomas Pynchon a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon (J. B. Lippincott Company, 1966) is identified by: First edition states 'First Edition' on the copyright page under the Lippincott imprint. US Lippincott is the true first; UK Jonathan Cape (1967) is later.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Roughly 183 pages
- First edition states 'First Edition' on the copyright page under the Lippincott imprint
- Publisher's yellow cloth-backed grey boards with three muted post-horn devices blind-stamped to the front board, spine lettered in black, black topstain, and brown endpapers printed with the 'w.a.s.t.e.' post-horn motif in grey
- Original jacket (design by Milton Charles) carries the muted post-horn on the front panel with titling in orange and blue, and retains its printed price on the flap
- Publisher imprint reads J. B. Lippincott Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Thomas Pynchon |
| Publisher | J. B. Lippincott Company |
| Year | 1966 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Roughly 183 pages |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Roughly 183 pages. First edition states 'First Edition' on the copyright page under the Lippincott imprint. Publisher's yellow cloth-backed grey boards with three muted post-horn devices blind-stamped to the front board, spine lettered in black, black topstain, and brown endpapers printed with the 'w.a.s.t.e.' post-horn motif in grey. Original jacket (design by Milton Charles) carries the muted post-horn on the front panel with titling in orange and blue, and retains its printed price on the flap.

## Is this the true first?
US Lippincott is the true first; UK Jonathan Cape (1967) is later.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club edition lacks 'First Edition' on the copyright page, carries a blind-stamped square/dot to the rear board, and is printed on bulkier paper with a jacket bearing no printed price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Crying of Lot 49* by Thomas Pynchon a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-crying-of-lot-49
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.