# Is "The Givenness of Things: Essays" by Marilynne Robinson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Givenness of Things: Essays by Marilynne Robinson (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2015) is identified by: The first trade edition states 'First edition, 2015' on the copyright page with a full number line descending to 1. US Farrar, Straus and Giroux first edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The first trade edition states 'First edition, 2015' on the copyright page with a full number line descending to 1
- The FSG hardcover is issued in half-cloth binding, octavo, and comes in a first-state dust jacket (design by Strick & Williams) that carries the printed price and is not clipped
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Marilynne Robinson |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
| Year | 2015 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The first trade edition states 'First edition, 2015' on the copyright page with a full… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The first trade edition states 'First edition, 2015' on the copyright page with a full number line descending to 1. The FSG hardcover is issued in half-cloth binding, octavo, and comes in a first-state dust jacket (design by Strick & Williams) that carries the printed price and is not clipped.

## Is this the true first?
US Farrar, Straus and Giroux first edition is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book-club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Givenness of Things: Essays* by Marilynne Robinson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-givenness-of-things-essays
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.