# Is "The Misfits (cinema-novel)" by Arthur Miller a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Misfits (cinema-novel) by Arthur Miller (Viking Press, 1961) is identified by: First edition, Viking Press, New York, 1961. US Viking is the true first; the UK Secker & Warburg edition also appeared in 1961.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, Viking Press, New York, 1961
- Tweed/linen cloth stamped in black and red, in first-issue dust jacket
- Described by Miller as a cinema-novel, a story conceived as a film, written concurrently with the screenplay for the 1961 John Huston film
- Publisher imprint reads Viking Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Arthur Miller |
| Publisher | Viking Press |
| Year | 1961 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, Viking Press, New York, 1961 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition, Viking Press, New York, 1961. Tweed/linen cloth stamped in black and red, in first-issue dust jacket. Described by Miller as a cinema-novel, a story conceived as a film, written concurrently with the screenplay for the 1961 John Huston film.

## Is this the true first?
US Viking is the true first; the UK Secker & Warburg edition also appeared in 1961.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A book-club issue exists: typically smaller/thinner bulk, no price on the jacket flap, and a blindstamp (small indentation) on the rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Misfits (cinema-novel)* by Arthur Miller a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-misfits-cinema-novel
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.