The points of issue
First printing in publisher's cloth with dust jacket; the printed jacket price on the first issue is 3.95 (the record's 3.75 was incorrect). This 1956 text is the altered version Barth made at the publisher's request, with the ending changed to a less nihilistic close; Barth's preferred text was restored only in the 1967 Doubleday revised edition.
Is this the true first?
True first is the 1956 Appleton-Century-Crofts edition, Barth's debut novel. The 1967 Doubleday edition is a revised, restored first thus and is far more common; the 1956 first is genuinely scarce.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition of the 1956 issue is documented. Later Doubleday and Bantam appearances are reprints or the revised text.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Floating Opera a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First printing in publisher's cloth with dust jacket; the printed jacket price on the first issue is 3.95 (the record's 3.75 was incorrect). This 1956 text is the altered version Barth made at the publisher's request, with the ending changed to a less nihilistic close; Barth's preferred text was restored only in the 1967 Doubleday revised edition.
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. True first is the 1956 Appleton-Century-Crofts edition, Barth's debut novel. The 1967 Doubleday edition is a revised, restored first thus and is far more common; the 1956 first is genuinely scarce.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club edition of the 1956 issue is documented. Later Doubleday and Bantam appearances are reprints or the revised text.
I have a first edition of The Floating Opera — 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.