# Is "The Remains of the Day (US first, Knopf)" by Kazuo Ishiguro a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Remains of the Day (US first, Knopf) by Kazuo Ishiguro (Alfred A. Knopf, 1989) is identified by: US first edition, Alfred A. This Knopf edition is NOT the true first — the UK Faber 1989 edition precedes it.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US first edition, Alfred A. Knopf, published 4 October 1989. 'First American Edition' stated on the copyright page
- Grey boards with blue cloth spine and silver foil lettering, top edge tinted red; dust jacket carries the printed front-flap price
- This US printing FOLLOWS the UK Faber first edition (spring 1989) and is included so US-first copies are not mistaken for the true first
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Kazuo Ishiguro |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1989 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US first edition, Alfred A. Knopf, published 4 October 1989. 'First American Edition' stated on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US first edition, Alfred A. Knopf, published 4 October 1989. 'First American Edition' stated on the copyright page. Grey boards with blue cloth spine and silver foil lettering, top edge tinted red; dust jacket carries the printed front-flap price. This US printing FOLLOWS the UK Faber first edition (spring 1989) and is included so US-first copies are not mistaken for the true first.

## Is this the true first?
This Knopf edition is NOT the true first — the UK Faber 1989 edition precedes it. Listed here for disambiguation only.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Distinguished from the UK true first by the 'First American Edition' statement, the printed US jacket price, and the Knopf imprint. A Book-of-the-Month-Club US issue (lacking the printed jacket price, with the blind-stamped dot to the rear board) also exists and should not be confused with the trade first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Remains of the Day (US first, Knopf)* by Kazuo Ishiguro a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-remains-of-the-day-us-first-knopf
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.