# Is "The Friday Book: Essays and Other Nonfiction" by John Barth a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Friday Book: Essays and Other Nonfiction by John Barth (G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1984) is identified by: First printing carries the G. True first is the 1984 G.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing carries the G. P. Putnam's Sons first-edition statement on the copyright page
- The book is bound in blue paper-covered boards backed with burgundy cloth, with silver-gilt lettering on the spine, and collates roughly xx plus 281 pages
- The first-issue dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap along with the code 8410 at the base of the front flap; the printed price should be present, and the jacket is properly first-issue whether or not it has been clipped
- Barth's first collection of nonfiction, gathering three dozen essays and lectures
- Publisher imprint reads G. P. Putnam's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Barth |
| Publisher | G. P. Putnam's Sons |
| Year | 1984 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing carries the G. P. Putnam's Sons first-edition statement on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First printing carries the G. P. Putnam's Sons first-edition statement on the copyright page. The book is bound in blue paper-covered boards backed with burgundy cloth, with silver-gilt lettering on the spine, and collates roughly xx plus 281 pages. The first-issue dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap along with the code 8410 at the base of the front flap; the printed price should be present, and the jacket is properly first-issue whether or not it has been clipped. Barth's first collection of nonfiction, gathering three dozen essays and lectures.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 1984 G. P. Putnam's Sons edition, New York (publication dated October 26, 1984). No earlier edition precedes it.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant book club issue is recorded for this title.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Friday Book: Essays and Other Nonfiction* by John Barth a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-friday-book-essays-and-other-nonfiction
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.