The points of issue
First UK edition published October 1940 by Geoffrey Bles: The Centenary Press, London, in the Christian Challenge series; original cloth in dust jacket; first impression carries no later-impression statement (Bles reprints list impression dates).
Is this the true first?
UK Bles/Centenary true first; the first American edition followed from Macmillan, New York, in 1944.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings and book-club issues differ and later Bles impressions are dated on the verso.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Problem of Pain a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First UK edition published October 1940 by Geoffrey Bles: The Centenary Press, London, in the Christian Challenge series; original cloth in dust jacket; first impression carries no later-impression statement (Bles reprints list impression dates).
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. UK Bles/Centenary true first; the first American edition followed from Macmillan, New York, in 1944.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later printings and book-club issues differ and later Bles impressions are dated on the verso.
I have a first edition of The Problem of Pain — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.