The points of issue
Farrar, Straus and Cudahy imprint (the pre-FSG name) with the copyright page reading only 'Copyright 1955, 1960 by Flannery O'Connor' and NO printing or edition statement; the first printing is identified by the absence of any later-printing indication. Cloth-backed patterned boards; 243 pages; published 8 February 1960; first-issue jacket designed by Milton Glaser. O'Connor's second novel.
Is this the true first?
US Farrar, Straus and Cudahy is the true first; the UK Longmans edition (1960) follows. The Cudahy imprint, not 'Giroux,' is correct for the 1960 first.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Because no first-printing statement exists, the jacket and binding distinguish issues: the trade first carries the original jacket price; the book-club edition has no flap price and a blind-stamp to the rear board.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Violent Bear It Away a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Farrar, Straus and Cudahy imprint (the pre-FSG name) with the copyright page reading only 'Copyright 1955, 1960 by Flannery O'Connor' and NO printing or edition statement; the first printing is identified by the absence of any later-printing indication. Cloth-backed patterned boards; 243 pages; published 8 February 1960; first-issue jacket designed by Milton Glaser. O'Connor's second novel.
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. US Farrar, Straus and Cudahy is the true first; the UK Longmans edition (1960) follows. The Cudahy imprint, not 'Giroux,' is correct for the 1960 first.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Because no first-printing statement exists, the jacket and binding distinguish issues: the trade first carries the original jacket price; the book-club edition has no flap price and a blind-stamp to the rear board.
I have a first edition of The Violent Bear It Away — 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.