# Is "The Hotel New Hampshire" by John Irving a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Hotel New Hampshire by John Irving (E.P. Dutton, 1981) is identified by: Dutton first printing: full number line present ending in 1 with no later-printing statement; the unclipped jacket carries the printed price (jacket designed by Terry Fehr). The US Dutton edition is the true first; the UK Jonathan Cape edition of 1981 follows.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Dutton first printing: full number line present ending in 1 with no later-printing statement; the unclipped jacket carries the printed price (jacket designed by Terry Fehr)
- A Franklin Library signed limited edition also exists separately
- Publisher imprint reads E.P. Dutton
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Irving |
| Publisher | E.P. Dutton |
| Year | 1981 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Dutton first printing: full number line present ending in 1 with no later-printing statement; the unclipped jacket carries the printed… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Dutton first printing: full number line present ending in 1 with no later-printing statement; the unclipped jacket carries the printed price (jacket designed by Terry Fehr). A Franklin Library signed limited edition also exists separately.

## Is this the true first?
The US Dutton edition is the true first; the UK Jonathan Cape edition of 1981 follows.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club issue: smaller, no number line, blind-stamp to the rear board, and no price printed on the jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Hotel New Hampshire* by John Irving a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-hotel-new-hampshire
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.