# Is "The Twenty-Seventh City" by Jonathan Franzen a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Twenty-Seventh City by Jonathan Franzen (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1988) is identified by: First printing is identified by 'First Edition, 1988' stated on the copyright page (the primary point for this title). The US Farrar, Straus and Giroux hardcover is the true first; the British edition follows.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing is identified by 'First Edition, 1988' stated on the copyright page (the primary point for this title)
- The dust jacket front flap carries the original printed price
- Franzen's debut novel
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Jonathan Franzen |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
| Year | 1988 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing is identified by 'First Edition, 1988' stated on the copyright page (the primary point for this title) |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First printing is identified by 'First Edition, 1988' stated on the copyright page (the primary point for this title). The dust jacket front flap carries the original printed price. Franzen's debut novel.

## Is this the true first?
The US Farrar, Straus and Giroux hardcover is the true first; the British edition follows. Scarce as a debut.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition issue identified affecting the true first; later reissues are Farrar and Picador paperbacks.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Twenty-Seventh City* by Jonathan Franzen a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-twenty-seventh-city
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.