# Is "The Wapshot Chronicle" by John Cheever a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Wapshot Chronicle by John Cheever (Harper & Brothers, 1957) is identified by: First printing carries the Harper two-letter code on the copyright page reading B-G, which denotes February 1957 (first letter = month, second letter = year, with G = 1957), and shows no statement of a later printing. The US Harper & Brothers edition is the true first; the UK Gollancz edition follows.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing carries the Harper two-letter code on the copyright page reading B-G, which denotes February 1957 (first letter = month, second letter = year, with G = 1957), and shows no statement of a later printing
- Issued in green cloth boards backed in dark blue cloth, 307 numbered pages
- Cheever's first novel; won the 1958 National Book Award
- Publisher imprint reads Harper & Brothers
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Cheever |
| Publisher | Harper & Brothers |
| Year | 1957 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing carries the Harper two-letter code on the copyright page reading B-G, which denotes February 1957 (first letter = month… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing carries the Harper two-letter code on the copyright page reading B-G, which denotes February 1957 (first letter = month, second letter = year, with G = 1957), and shows no statement of a later printing. Issued in green cloth boards backed in dark blue cloth, 307 numbered pages. Cheever's first novel; won the 1958 National Book Award.

## Is this the true first?
The US Harper & Brothers edition is the true first; the UK Gollancz edition follows. Identify Harper firsts by the alphabetical month/year code on the copyright page rather than by a number line. The first printing is B-G; an early reprint within 1957 shows G-G.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The book-club issue lacks the correct Harper B-G code, typically shows a blind-stamped dot or square on the rear board, and its jacket lacks the printed price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Wapshot Chronicle* by John Cheever a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-wapshot-chronicle
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.