# Is "The Problem of Pain" by C.S. Lewis a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis (Geoffrey Bles / The Centenary Press, 1940) is identified by: 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). UK Bles/Centenary true first; the first American edition followed from Macmillan, New York, in 1944.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- 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)
- Publisher imprint reads Geoffrey Bles / The Centenary Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | C.S. Lewis |
| Publisher | Geoffrey Bles / The Centenary Press |
| Year | 1940 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First UK edition published October 1940 by Geoffrey Bles: The Centenary Press, London, in the Christian Challenge series; original cloth in… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## 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.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Problem of Pain* by C.S. Lewis a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-problem-of-pain
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.