# Is "The Pelican Brief" by John Grisham a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Pelican Brief by John Grisham (Doubleday, 1992) is identified by: Doubleday first printing: copyright page states "First Edition" with the dated line "March 1992" and a complete Doubleday number line that includes the digit 1 (the scrambled sequence 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2, not a line that ends in 1). The US Doubleday edition (March 1992) is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Doubleday first printing: copyright page states "First Edition" with the dated line "March 1992" and a complete Doubleday number line that includes the digit 1 (the scrambled sequence 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2, not a line that ends in 1)
- First-state dust jacket carries the printed retail price on the front flap with no added bar code; a later jacket state adds a bar code to the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Grisham |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
| Year | 1992 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Doubleday first printing: copyright page states "First Edition" with the dated line "March 1992" and a complete Doubleday number line that… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Doubleday first printing: copyright page states "First Edition" with the dated line "March 1992" and a complete Doubleday number line that includes the digit 1 (the scrambled sequence 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2, not a line that ends in 1). First-state dust jacket carries the printed retail price on the front flap with no added bar code; a later jacket state adds a bar code to the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
The US Doubleday edition (March 1992) is the true first. The UK Century edition also appeared in 1992 but follows the US printing.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club editions lack a price on the jacket flap, may print "Book Club Edition" on the flap, are smaller and lighter than the trade first, and typically show a blind-stamped dot or square on the rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Pelican Brief* by John Grisham a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-pelican-brief
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.