Viking, 1994 cover
Cover of the Viking, 1994 edition of this book. The Faber & Faber 1994 jacket has not been photographed yet.
Identification points are listed only where two independent sources agree. Last reviewed 28 Oct 2026.
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Faber and Faber published the novel in London in February 1994, some five months before Viking's New York edition in July 1994, so the Faber hardback (ISBN 0-571-17092-7) is the true first. Look for the Faber imprint and the 0-571 ISBN; the Viking hardback is the first American edition and came later. Check the verso for a later impression line and check that the jacket has not been price clipped. No issue points are recorded.
A Faber first edition has a single "First published" line on the back of the title page with no reprint dates beneath it; on older books the year in that line is written in Roman numerals, as in "First published in mcml".
Allen and Patricia Ahearn's publisher list for ILAB gives the "First published" statement, says later printings are noted, and says the year was in Roman numerals before the switch to Arabic. Several unrelated dealers offering 1950 Faber firsts describe the same thing: "First published in mcml" on the verso and no other printings listed.
Read the full guide to Faber & Faber first editions, decade by decade, and check your copy's copyright page against it. Our number line decoder reads the printing from the row of numbers.
We have not yet confirmed the issue points that tell this first impression from later ones. Until we do, compare your copy's title page and copyright page with the publisher, place and year above: any later printing or edition statement means it is not this one.
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The cover image shows this book but may not be this edition or printing.
Faber & Faber, London, in 1994, in hardback.
Points of issue are listed only where at least two independent sources agree. Last reviewed 28 October 2026. Reviewed by Harriet Ellis; read how we check facts.
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