Skip to main content

First-Edition Identification · James T. Farrell

Is My The Life Adventurous and Other Stories a First Edition?

The Vanguard Press, 1947

The points of issue

First printing; short-story collection.

Decode the printer’s key: paste the number line into the decoder · The Vanguard Press first-edition guide.

Is this the true first?

US first edition, published by The Vanguard Press, New York, 1947.

Telling it from reprints & book-club editions

Vanguard indicated subsequent printings on the copyright page; a true first printing carries no later-printing notice.

Frequently asked questions

Is my copy of The Life Adventurous and Other Stories a first edition?

Look for these first-edition points: First printing; short-story collection.

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 first edition, published by The Vanguard Press, New York, 1947.

Is the book-club edition the same as the first?

Vanguard indicated subsequent printings on the copyright page; a true first printing carries no later-printing notice.

I have a first edition of The Life Adventurous and Other Stories — 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.

Keep identifying