# Is "The Late George Apley" by John P. Marquand a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Late George Apley by John P. Marquand (Little, Brown and Company, 1937) is identified by: The first printing is identified by the text point Lovely Pearl on the first line of page 19. US Little, Brown 1937 true first, confirmed by the Lovely Pearl reading on the first line of page 19.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The first printing is identified by the text point Lovely Pearl on the first line of page 19
- Publisher's blue cloth stamped in gilt
- First-issue jacket (art by F. M. Rines) carries the printed price on the front flap and no later-printing slug
- Pages often show faint vertical streaks from a printer malfunction common to this title
- Publisher imprint reads Little, Brown and Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John P. Marquand |
| Publisher | Little, Brown and Company |
| Year | 1937 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The first printing is identified by the text point Lovely Pearl on the first line of page 19 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
The first printing is identified by the text point Lovely Pearl on the first line of page 19. Publisher's blue cloth stamped in gilt. First-issue jacket (art by F. M. Rines) carries the printed price on the front flap and no later-printing slug. Pages often show faint vertical streaks from a printer malfunction common to this title.

## Is this the true first?
US Little, Brown 1937 true first, confirmed by the Lovely Pearl reading on the first line of page 19.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings carry a printing statement; reprints are clearly marked.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Late George Apley* by John P. Marquand a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-late-george-apley
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.