# Is "Twice-Told Tales" by Nathaniel Hawthorne a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Twice-Told Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne (American Stationers Co. / John B. Russell, 1837) is identified by: First edition, single volume, 1837, in publisher's brown embossed cloth with the title gilt on the spine; imprint of the American Stationers Co., John B. American true first, 1837, one volume.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, single volume, 1837, in publisher's brown embossed cloth with the title gilt on the spine; imprint of the American Stationers Co., John B. Russell (printed by Freeman and Bolles), with a publisher's circular device on the title page
- Hawthorne's first book to bear his name on the title page
- Copies appear with either 12 or 16 pages of ads at the rear, with no established priority
- The expanded 1842 two-volume James Munroe edition adds new tales and is a separate, later edition
- Publisher imprint reads American Stationers Co. / John B. Russell
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Nathaniel Hawthorne |
| Publisher | American Stationers Co. / John B. Russell |
| Year | 1837 |
| True first | American edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, single volume, 1837, in publisher's brown embossed cloth with the title gilt on the spine; imprint of the American… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition, single volume, 1837, in publisher's brown embossed cloth with the title gilt on the spine; imprint of the American Stationers Co., John B. Russell (printed by Freeman and Bolles), with a publisher's circular device on the title page. Hawthorne's first book to bear his name on the title page. Copies appear with either 12 or 16 pages of ads at the rear, with no established priority. The expanded 1842 two-volume James Munroe edition adds new tales and is a separate, later edition.

## Is this the true first?
American true first, 1837, one volume. The 1842 two-volume James Munroe edition is enlarged and is a distinct later edition, not the true first. Verify the 1837 American Stationers imprint.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later collected-works printings exist; the genuine first carries the 1837 American Stationers / John B. Russell imprint and the circular title-page device.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Twice-Told Tales* by Nathaniel Hawthorne a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/twice-told-tales
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.