# Is "Tropic of Cancer" by Henry Miller a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller (Obelisk Press, 1934) is identified by: TRUE first is the Obelisk Press (Paris, 1934) issue in printed wrappers with the bank wraparound band; the US edition was banned until Grove Press published it in 1961. Obelisk Press (Paris, 1934) is the true world first; the Grove Press (US, 1961) edition is the first American edition — a notable 'first thus' tied to the obscenity trial, but not the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- TRUE first is the Obelisk Press (Paris, 1934) issue in printed wrappers with the bank wraparound band; the US edition was banned until Grove Press published it in 1961
- First-issue Obelisk has the original price on the wrapper and the preface by Anaïs Nin
- Publisher imprint reads Obelisk Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Henry Miller |
| Publisher | Obelisk Press |
| Year | 1934 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | TRUE first is the Obelisk Press (Paris, 1934) issue in printed wrappers with the bank wraparound band; the US edition was banned until… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
TRUE first is the Obelisk Press (Paris, 1934) issue in printed wrappers with the bank wraparound band; the US edition was banned until Grove Press published it in 1961. First-issue Obelisk has the original price on the wrapper and the preface by Anaïs Nin.

## Is this the true first?
Obelisk Press (Paris, 1934) is the true world first; the Grove Press (US, 1961) edition is the first American edition — a notable 'first thus' tied to the obscenity trial, but not the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Grove Press first American states its own printing; later Obelisk and Grove reprints carry printing notices. Many later Paris reprints in similar wrappers exist — the bank band and 1934 imprint distinguish the true first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Tropic of Cancer* by Henry Miller a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/tropic-of-cancer
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.