# Is "The Stories of John Cheever" by John Cheever a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Stories of John Cheever by John Cheever (Alfred A. Knopf, 1978) is identified by: 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page with no later-printing line. The US Knopf hardcover (1978) is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page with no later-printing line
- Bound in full black cloth boards, the title stamped in gilt on the spine and gilt lettering to the front board; octavo of 693 pages, about 24.5 cm tall
- The first-state jacket carries the printed price on the front flap
- Collects sixty-one stories including 'The Enormous Radio,' 'The Five-Forty-Eight,' and 'The Swimmer.' The jacket spine is commonly lightly sunned on this title
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Cheever |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1978 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page with no later-printing line |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
'First Edition' stated on the copyright page with no later-printing line. Bound in full black cloth boards, the title stamped in gilt on the spine and gilt lettering to the front board; octavo of 693 pages, about 24.5 cm tall. The first-state jacket carries the printed price on the front flap. Collects sixty-one stories including 'The Enormous Radio,' 'The Five-Forty-Eight,' and 'The Swimmer.' The jacket spine is commonly lightly sunned on this title.

## Is this the true first?
The US Knopf hardcover (1978) is the true first. The collection won the 1979 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Critics Circle Award; the 1981 National Book Award it received was for the paperback edition, not the 1978 hardcover. Signed copies exist.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The book-club issue lacks the 'First Edition' statement, is slightly smaller, carries a blind-stamp on the rear board, and its jacket bears no flap price (often marked 'Book Club Edition').

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Stories of John Cheever* by John Cheever a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-stories-of-john-cheever
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.