# Is "The Winter of Our Discontent" by John Steinbeck a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck (The Viking Press, New York, 1961) is identified by: First printing has the statement 'First Published in 1961 by The Viking Press, Inc.' on the copyright page with no later-printing notice. True US first; precedes the UK Heinemann edition of 1961.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing has the statement 'First Published in 1961 by The Viking Press, Inc.' on the copyright page with no later-printing notice
- Bound in blue cloth with titling in black on silver panels, and the top edge tinted pale blue
- Dust jacket illustrated by Elmer Hader and carrying the printed price
- Publisher imprint reads The Viking Press, New York
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Steinbeck |
| Publisher | The Viking Press, New York |
| Year | 1961 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing has the statement 'First Published in 1961 by The Viking Press, Inc.' on the copyright page with no later-printing notice |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing has the statement 'First Published in 1961 by The Viking Press, Inc.' on the copyright page with no later-printing notice. Bound in blue cloth with titling in black on silver panels, and the top edge tinted pale blue. Dust jacket illustrated by Elmer Hader and carrying the printed price.

## Is this the true first?
True US first; precedes the UK Heinemann edition of 1961.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club issue can be told apart by a small blindstamped identifier on the lower rear board near the spine and a clipped or unpriced jacket; it lacks the trade first-printing presentation.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Winter of Our Discontent* by John Steinbeck a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-winter-of-our-discontent
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.