# Is "The Music of Chance" by Paul Auster a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Music of Chance by Paul Auster (Viking, 1990) is identified by: First edition, first printing by Viking, New York, 1990, octavo, 217 pages, bound in black paper-covered boards with a cloth spine. US Viking is the true first; the UK Faber edition (1991) follows.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first printing by Viking, New York, 1990, octavo, 217 pages, bound in black paper-covered boards with a cloth spine
- First printing carries a full number line including the 1 on the copyright page, and the printed price should be present on the jacket flap
- Publisher imprint reads Viking
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Paul Auster |
| Publisher | Viking |
| Year | 1990 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, first printing by Viking, New York, 1990, octavo, 217 pages, bound in black paper-covered boards with a cloth spine |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition, first printing by Viking, New York, 1990, octavo, 217 pages, bound in black paper-covered boards with a cloth spine. First printing carries a full number line including the 1 on the copyright page, and the printed price should be present on the jacket flap.

## Is this the true first?
US Viking is the true first; the UK Faber edition (1991) follows.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A Book-of-the-Month Club edition exists and can be distinguished by its smaller dimensions, absence of a number line, and the blind-stamp impression on the rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Music of Chance* by Paul Auster a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-music-of-chance
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.