# Is "The Joke" by Milan Kundera a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Joke by Milan Kundera (Coward-McCann, 1969) is identified by: First English-language edition, 1969, translated by David Hamblyn and Oliver Stallybrass. First edition in English of Žert (Prague, 1967).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First English-language edition, 1969, translated by David Hamblyn and Oliver Stallybrass
- Issued by Coward-McCann in the US and Macdonald in the UK. This first translation was abridged and rearranged
- Kundera publicly repudiated it, and authorized retranslations followed (Michael Henry Heim, 1982, and Kundera's own definitive version, 1992)
- The 1969 printing is the true first edition but is textually compromised
- Publisher imprint reads Coward-McCann
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Milan Kundera |
| Publisher | Coward-McCann |
| Year | 1969 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First English-language edition, 1969, translated by David Hamblyn and Oliver Stallybrass |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First English-language edition, 1969, translated by David Hamblyn and Oliver Stallybrass. Issued by Coward-McCann in the US and Macdonald in the UK. This first translation was abridged and rearranged; Kundera publicly repudiated it, and authorized retranslations followed (Michael Henry Heim, 1982, and Kundera's own definitive version, 1992). The 1969 printing is the true first edition but is textually compromised.

## Is this the true first?
First edition in English of Žert (Prague, 1967). Because the 1969 text is abridged and disowned by the author, collectors distinguish it sharply from the later authorized retranslations.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book-club edition confirmed as a distinguishing point.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Joke* by Milan Kundera a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-joke
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.