The points of issue
Scribner first edition, ISBN 0-7432-6451-7, with a number line descending to 1; Scribner colophon. Hempel's fourth collection (nine stories, 160 pp), bound in tan cloth and boards. Verify the jacket price is present and unclipped.
Is this the true first?
The US Scribner hardcover (2005) is the true first edition of this collection.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later paperbacks and the 2006 Collected Stories omnibus are not the first book appearance of this collection. Note that The Collected Stories of Amy Hempel (Scribner, 2006) is a separate first-thus omnibus and is not the first book appearance of the stories from her earlier three collections.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Dog of the Marriage a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Scribner first edition, ISBN 0-7432-6451-7, with a number line descending to 1; Scribner colophon. Hempel's fourth collection (nine stories, 160 pp), bound in tan cloth and boards. Verify the jacket price is present and unclipped.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The US Scribner hardcover (2005) is the true first edition of this collection.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later paperbacks and the 2006 Collected Stories omnibus are not the first book appearance of this collection. Note that The Collected Stories of Amy Hempel (Scribner, 2006) is a separate first-thus omnibus and is not the first book appearance of the stories from her earlier three collections.
I have a first edition of The Dog of the Marriage — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.