The points of issue
Tan buckram stamped in dark red; '1940' on both title and copyright pages with no later-printing statement; 356 pages; first-issue dust jacket priced 2.50 with the 'Summer's Lease' blurb on the rear flap. McCullers's first novel.
Is this the true first?
US Houghton Mifflin is the true first; the UK Cresset Press edition (1943) follows.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Decisive jacket point: later-state jackets replace the 'Summer's Lease' blurb with an advertisement for 'Reflections in a Golden Eye' (1941) on the rear panel, so presence of that ad means the jacket post-dates the true first issue. The book-club edition has no 2.50 price and a blind-stamped board.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Tan buckram stamped in dark red; '1940' on both title and copyright pages with no later-printing statement; 356 pages; first-issue dust jacket priced 2.50 with the 'Summer's Lease' blurb on the rear flap. McCullers's first novel.
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. US Houghton Mifflin is the true first; the UK Cresset Press edition (1943) follows.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Decisive jacket point: later-state jackets replace the 'Summer's Lease' blurb with an advertisement for 'Reflections in a Golden Eye' (1941) on the rear panel, so presence of that ad means the jacket post-dates the true first issue. The book-club edition has no 2.50 price and a blind-stamped board.
I have a first edition of The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter — 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.