# Is "The Farmers Hotel" by John O'Hara a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Farmers Hotel by John O'Hara (Random House, 1951) is identified by: First printing stated on the copyright page, with no later-printing statement. US first; the UK Cresset Press edition followed in 1953.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing stated on the copyright page, with no later-printing statement
- Short novel of roughly 150 pages, blue cloth boards with a facsimile signature in black on the front board, top edge stained blue, in the dust jacket with art by John O'Hara Cosgrave II
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John O'Hara |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1951 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing stated on the copyright page, with no later-printing statement |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First printing stated on the copyright page, with no later-printing statement. Short novel of roughly 150 pages, blue cloth boards with a facsimile signature in black on the front board, top edge stained blue, in the dust jacket with art by John O'Hara Cosgrave II.

## Is this the true first?
US first; the UK Cresset Press edition followed in 1953.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Reprints carry a later-printing notice on the copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Farmers Hotel* by John O'Hara a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-farmers-hotel
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.