# Is "The Ordeal of Gilbert Pinfold" by Evelyn Waugh a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Ordeal of Gilbert Pinfold by Evelyn Waugh (Chapman & Hall, 1957) is identified by: First edition, first printing, published July 1957. Chapman & Hall (London) is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first printing, published July 1957
- The full title on the title page reads The Ordeal of Gilbert Pinfold: A Conversation Piece
- Issued in blue cloth with a pictorial dust jacket
- Waugh's largely autobiographical novel of his bromide-induced hallucinations
- Publisher imprint reads Chapman & Hall
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Evelyn Waugh |
| Publisher | Chapman & Hall |
| Year | 1957 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, first printing, published July 1957 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition, first printing, published July 1957. The full title on the title page reads The Ordeal of Gilbert Pinfold: A Conversation Piece. Issued in blue cloth with a pictorial dust jacket. Waugh's largely autobiographical novel of his bromide-induced hallucinations.

## Is this the true first?
Chapman & Hall (London) is the true first. A US edition followed from Little, Brown in 1957.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club reprints appeared later and are distinct from the trade first; no club issue precedes the Chapman & Hall first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Ordeal of Gilbert Pinfold* by Evelyn Waugh a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-ordeal-of-gilbert-pinfold
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.