Knopf;distributed by Random House, 1974 cover
Cover of the Knopf;distributed by Random House, 1974 edition of this book. The Allen Lane 1974 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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Toni Morrison's second novel was first published by Alfred A. Knopf, New York, in November 1973 (ISBN 0394480449; one British catalogue dates its copy 1974 [c1973]). The first British edition is Allen Lane, London, 1974, ISBN 0713909145, catalogued at [5], 174 pages and 21 cm, with a note that it was originally published by Knopf in 1973. Later British forms include a Chatto & Windus edition of 1980 and the Triad paperback of 1982 (ISBN 0586049800, 154 pages).
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.
Allen Lane, London, in 1974, 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.
For most books published since the 1920s, the original dust jacket carries a large share of the value, often most …
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