# Is "Wise Blood" by Flannery O'Connor a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Wise Blood by Flannery O'Connor (Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1952) is identified by: First edition is identified by the words "FIRST EDITION" stated on the copyright page (the primary, definitive point of issue — the original claim omits this entirely). US Harcourt, Brace is the true first; UK Neville Spearman (1955) is later.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition is identified by the words "FIRST EDITION" stated on the copyright page (the primary, definitive point of issue — the original claim omits this entirely)
- Published by Harcourt, Brace and Company, New York, 1952
- O'Connor's debut novel
- Issued in publisher's yellow cloth with the title/spine lettering in gray (the claim's generic "issued in cloth" is correct but vague — the cloth is specifically yellow)
- Octavo, 232pp
- Original first-issue dust jacket with its printed price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Harcourt, Brace and Company

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Flannery O'Connor |
| Publisher | Harcourt, Brace and Company |
| Year | 1952 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition is identified by the words "FIRST EDITION" stated on the copyright page (the primary, definitive point of issue — the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition is identified by the words "FIRST EDITION" stated on the copyright page (the primary, definitive point of issue — the original claim omits this entirely). Published by Harcourt, Brace and Company, New York, 1952; O'Connor's debut novel. Issued in publisher's yellow cloth with the title/spine lettering in gray (the claim's generic "issued in cloth" is correct but vague — the cloth is specifically yellow). Octavo, 232pp. Original first-issue dust jacket with its printed price on the front flap. Small first printing (commonly cited as ~3,000 copies), making true firsts genuinely scarce.

## Is this the true first?
US Harcourt, Brace is the true first; UK Neville Spearman (1955) is later. As O'Connor's debut, first printings are scarce.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club edition has a blind-stamp on the rear board and bulkier paper and lacks the first-printing configuration.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Wise Blood* by Flannery O'Connor a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/wise-blood
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.