# Is "Under the Shadow" by Gilbert Sorrentino a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Under the Shadow by Gilbert Sorrentino (Dalkey Archive Press, 1991) is identified by: First Dalkey Archive Press edition, 1991. True first is the 1991 Dalkey Archive Press edition (Elmwood Park, IL).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First Dalkey Archive Press edition, 1991
- Issued simultaneously in two formats: a green-cloth hardcover (ISBN 0-916583-84-2) and trade wraps
- The hardcover is generally treated as the primary collectible first state
- Confirm via the 1991 Dalkey imprint with no later-printing or number-line indication
- Publisher imprint reads Dalkey Archive Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Gilbert Sorrentino |
| Publisher | Dalkey Archive Press |
| Year | 1991 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First Dalkey Archive Press edition, 1991 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First Dalkey Archive Press edition, 1991. Issued simultaneously in two formats: a green-cloth hardcover (ISBN 0-916583-84-2) and trade wraps. The hardcover is generally treated as the primary collectible first state. Confirm via the 1991 Dalkey imprint with no later-printing or number-line indication.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 1991 Dalkey Archive Press edition (Elmwood Park, IL). No prior or precedence-holding edition; UK/other-country precedence is not a factor.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition of note.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Under the Shadow* by Gilbert Sorrentino a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/under-the-shadow
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.