The points of issue
First edition published by Jonathan Cape, London, 2000, as 'a Jonathan Cape Original' paperback (ISBN 0224060635); first edition, first printing. Enright's second novel; shortlisted for the 2000 Whitbread Novel Award and a winner of the Encore Award.
Is this the true first?
The UK Cape paperback original (2000) is the first edition; the US Atlantic Monthly Press hardcover (ISBN 0871138166) was also published in 2000, so this is a same-year situation with the UK original generally taken as the first.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Vintage/Penguin paperbacks are reprints; note that the UK first is a paperback original, not a hardcover.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of What Are You Like? a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition published by Jonathan Cape, London, 2000, as 'a Jonathan Cape Original' paperback (ISBN 0224060635); first edition, first printing. Enright's second novel; shortlisted for the 2000 Whitbread Novel Award and a winner of the Encore Award.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The UK Cape paperback original (2000) is the first edition; the US Atlantic Monthly Press hardcover (ISBN 0871138166) was also published in 2000, so this is a same-year situation with the UK original generally taken as the first.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later Vintage/Penguin paperbacks are reprints; note that the UK first is a paperback original, not a hardcover.
I have a first edition of What Are You Like? — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.