# Is "The Invisible Man" by H. G. Wells a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells (C. Arthur Pearson Ltd., 1897) is identified by: First published in book form by C. The C.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First published in book form by C. Arthur Pearson, London, on 12 November 1897, after serialization in Pearson's Weekly (12 June-24 August 1897)
- The first printing is identified by page '1' being misnumbered '2,' the title page printed in orange and black, no statement of printing on the copyright page, and publisher's advertisements on pages 247-248
- The publisher's binding is pictorial red cloth, the front panel stamped in black and gold, the spine stamped in gold
- Publisher imprint reads C. Arthur Pearson Ltd.
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | H. G. Wells |
| Publisher | C. Arthur Pearson Ltd. |
| Year | 1897 |
| True first | American edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First published in book form by C. Arthur Pearson, London, on 12 November 1897, after serialization in Pearson's Weekly (12 June-24 August… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First published in book form by C. Arthur Pearson, London, on 12 November 1897, after serialization in Pearson's Weekly (12 June-24 August 1897). The first printing is identified by page '1' being misnumbered '2,' the title page printed in orange and black, no statement of printing on the copyright page, and publisher's advertisements on pages 247-248. The publisher's binding is pictorial red cloth, the front panel stamped in black and gold, the spine stamped in gold.

## Is this the true first?
The C. Arthur Pearson first edition of 12 November 1897 is the true first book appearance; the American edition issued by Edward Arnold followed later the same year and adds an epilogue involving the character Thomas Marvel that is not present in the British first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Invisible Man* by H. G. Wells a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-invisible-man
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.