# Is "The Firm" by John Grisham a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Firm by John Grisham (Doubleday, 1991) is identified by: Doubleday first issue: copyright page reads "March 1991" with "First Edition" and a full number line, accompanied by the Doubleday anchor/dolphin colophon, and the original price-printed dust jacket. US Doubleday (1991) is the true first edition; the UK Century edition also appeared in 1991.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Doubleday first issue: copyright page reads "March 1991" with "First Edition" and a full number line, accompanied by the Doubleday anchor/dolphin colophon, and the original price-printed dust jacket
- First-state copies have light green-gray boards with a black cloth spine and gold endpapers; the binding shifted later in the printing
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Grisham |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
| Year | 1991 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Doubleday first issue: copyright page reads "March 1991" with "First Edition" and a full number line, accompanied by the Doubleday… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Doubleday first issue: copyright page reads "March 1991" with "First Edition" and a full number line, accompanied by the Doubleday anchor/dolphin colophon, and the original price-printed dust jacket. First-state copies have light green-gray boards with a black cloth spine and gold endpapers; the binding shifted later in the printing.

## Is this the true first?
US Doubleday (1991) is the true first edition; the UK Century edition also appeared in 1991. This was Grisham's breakout title and the first printing, while common, is condition-sensitive.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The book club edition is dated "April 1991" on the copyright page (rather than March 1991), lacks the printed jacket price, and is bound in all-black boards. A blind-stamp on the rear board is also typical of book club copies.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Firm* by John Grisham a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-firm
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.