The points of issue
First edition of this collection, in navy-blue cloth with dust jacket, 239 pages. Gathers the revised Work Suspended fragment with eight other pre-war stories including Mr Loveday's Little Outing, Cruise, An Englishman's Home, and Excursion in Reality. This is the first appearance of the assembled collection.
Is this the true first?
The novella Work Suspended was first issued alone by Chapman & Hall in 1942 in a limited printing. The 1949 Chapman & Hall volume is the true first edition of the expanded collection with the other stories added, and is the first-thus.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Work Suspended and Other Stories a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition of this collection, in navy-blue cloth with dust jacket, 239 pages. Gathers the revised Work Suspended fragment with eight other pre-war stories including Mr Loveday's Little Outing, Cruise, An Englishman's Home, and Excursion in Reality. This is the first appearance of the assembled collection.
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 novella Work Suspended was first issued alone by Chapman & Hall in 1942 in a limited printing. The 1949 Chapman & Hall volume is the true first edition of the expanded collection with the other stories added, and is the first-thus.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club issue.
I have a first edition of Work Suspended and Other Stories — 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.