# Is "The Odd Couple" by Neil Simon a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Odd Couple by Neil Simon (Random House, 1966) is identified by: Quarter cloth with grained-leather-look boards, publisher's device blind-stamped to the front board; dust jacket priced on the flap; Random House, 1966, with 'First Printing' stated on the copyright page. US Random House edition is the true first, identified by the 'First Printing' statement on the copyright page and the priced jacket.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Quarter cloth with grained-leather-look boards, publisher's device blind-stamped to the front board; dust jacket priced on the flap
- Random House, 1966, with 'First Printing' stated on the copyright page
- Photographs of the original cast
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Neil Simon |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1966 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Quarter cloth with grained-leather-look boards, publisher's device blind-stamped to the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Quarter cloth with grained-leather-look boards, publisher's device blind-stamped to the front board; dust jacket priced on the flap; Random House, 1966, with 'First Printing' stated on the copyright page. Photographs of the original cast.

## Is this the true first?
US Random House edition is the true first, identified by the 'First Printing' statement on the copyright page and the priced jacket.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club issue lacks the priced jacket, may bear a blindstamp to the rear board, and lacks the copyright-page 'First Printing' statement; boards can be lighter.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Odd Couple* by Neil Simon a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-odd-couple
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.