# Is "The Death of Adam: Essays on Modern Thought" by Marilynne Robinson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Death of Adam: Essays on Modern Thought by Marilynne Robinson (Houghton Mifflin, 1998) is identified by: First printing is the Houghton Mifflin edition stating "First Edition" on the copyright page with a number line including the numeral 1. The US Houghton Mifflin edition (1998) is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing is the Houghton Mifflin edition stating "First Edition" on the copyright page with a number line including the numeral 1
- Robinson's first essay collection; the dust jacket carries the original printed price
- Publisher imprint reads Houghton Mifflin
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Marilynne Robinson |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin |
| Year | 1998 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing is the Houghton Mifflin edition stating "First Edition" on the copyright page with a number line including the numeral 1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First printing is the Houghton Mifflin edition stating "First Edition" on the copyright page with a number line including the numeral 1. Robinson's first essay collection; the dust jacket carries the original printed price.

## Is this the true first?
The US Houghton Mifflin edition (1998) is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club concern. Later printings indicate a higher printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Death of Adam: Essays on Modern Thought* by Marilynne Robinson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-death-of-adam-essays-on-modern-thought
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.