# Is "Tortilla Flat" by John Steinbeck a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck (Covici-Friede, New York, 1935) is identified by: First edition, first printing: copyright page reads 'Manufactured in the United States by The Van Rees Press' and notes no later printing; original beige/oatmeal cloth stamped in blue with blue top stain. True US first; precedes the UK Heinemann edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first printing: copyright page reads 'Manufactured in the United States by The Van Rees Press' and notes no later printing; original beige/oatmeal cloth stamped in blue with blue top stain
- Illustrations by Ruth Gannett
- The first-issue dust jacket carries a Steinbeck bibliography on the back flap (replaced by blurbs in later states)
- About 4,000 copies in the first printing
- Publisher imprint reads Covici-Friede, New York
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Steinbeck |
| Publisher | Covici-Friede, New York |
| Year | 1935 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, first printing: copyright page reads 'Manufactured in the United States by The Van Rees Press' and notes no later printing… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First edition, first printing: copyright page reads 'Manufactured in the United States by The Van Rees Press' and notes no later printing; original beige/oatmeal cloth stamped in blue with blue top stain. Illustrations by Ruth Gannett. The first-issue dust jacket carries a Steinbeck bibliography on the back flap (replaced by blurbs in later states). About 4,000 copies in the first printing.

## Is this the true first?
True US first; precedes the UK Heinemann edition. Steinbeck's first commercial success.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club. Later printings are stated as second, third, etc., on the copyright page; at least eight printings appeared between 1935 and 1937.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Tortilla Flat* by John Steinbeck a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/tortilla-flat
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.