# Is "The Death of Nora Ryan" by James T. Farrell a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Death of Nora Ryan by James T. Farrell (Doubleday & Company, 1978) is identified by: Doubleday & Company, Garden City, New York, 1978; a late Farrell novel of 402 pages in an illustrated pictorial dust jacket. US Doubleday hardcover first edition, identified by the stated "First Edition" on the copyright page together with the year gutter code on the final text leaf.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Doubleday & Company, Garden City, New York, 1978; a late Farrell novel of 402 pages in an illustrated pictorial dust jacket
- On the copyright page the words "First Edition" appear beneath the copyright notice, Doubleday's standard first-printing statement of the period
- As a further confirmation, Doubleday firsts of this era carry a gutter code (a letter-plus-number combination) printed in the gutter of the last page of text; the letter denotes the year of printing, so a true 1978 first shows the corresponding year code alongside the stated "First Edition." The printed jacket price should be present on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday & Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | James T. Farrell |
| Publisher | Doubleday & Company |
| Year | 1978 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Doubleday & Company, Garden City, New York, 1978; a late Farrell novel of 402 pages in an illustrated pictorial dust jacket |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Doubleday & Company, Garden City, New York, 1978; a late Farrell novel of 402 pages in an illustrated pictorial dust jacket. On the copyright page the words "First Edition" appear beneath the copyright notice, Doubleday's standard first-printing statement of the period. As a further confirmation, Doubleday firsts of this era carry a gutter code (a letter-plus-number combination) printed in the gutter of the last page of text; the letter denotes the year of printing, so a true 1978 first shows the corresponding year code alongside the stated "First Edition." The printed jacket price should be present on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
US Doubleday hardcover first edition, identified by the stated "First Edition" on the copyright page together with the year gutter code on the final text leaf.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Doubleday printings drop the "First Edition" statement. Any book-club issue is distinguished by the absence of the year gutter code and, typically, a blindstamp to the rear board and no printed price on the jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Death of Nora Ryan* by James T. Farrell a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-death-of-nora-ryan
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.