# Is "The Good Doctor" by Neil Simon a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Good Doctor by Neil Simon (Random House, 1974) is identified by: Quarter black cloth over orange paper boards, gilt spine lettering, in dust jacket with the printed price on the front flap. The US Random House hardcover of 1974 is the true first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Quarter black cloth over orange paper boards, gilt spine lettering, in dust jacket with the printed price on the front flap
- Random House, New York, 1974
- Subtitled A New Comedy with Music, adapted from and suggested by stories of Anton Chekhov
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Neil Simon |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1974 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Quarter black cloth over orange paper boards, gilt spine lettering, in dust jacket with… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Quarter black cloth over orange paper boards, gilt spine lettering, in dust jacket with the printed price on the front flap. Random House, New York, 1974. Subtitled A New Comedy with Music, adapted from and suggested by stories of Anton Chekhov.

## Is this the true first?
The US Random House hardcover of 1974 is the true first edition. No prior UK or Canadian precedence.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A Book Club edition exists and is common. It lacks the printed price on the jacket front flap, is often on lighter-weight boards, and typically carries a blind-stamped dot or square on the rear board. The trade first states First Edition and retains the flap price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Good Doctor* by Neil Simon a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-good-doctor
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.