The Brown Fairy Book
by Andrew Lang
The Brown Fairy Book is the ninth coloured Fairy Book edited by Andrew Lang, first published by Longmans, Green and Co. in 1904 with illustrations by H. J. Ford. It reaches well beyond Europe, with tales from Persia, Brazil, India, southern Africa and Native American traditions.
- Editions tracked
- 2
- First edition
- Longmans, Green, 1904
- First published
- Longmans, Green and Co., 1904
The first edition of The Brown Fairy Book by Andrew Lang was published in New York [etc. by Longmans, Green in 1904. We track 2 editions.
Which edition do you have?
First edition
- 1st Longmans, Green1904 Hardback · Andrew Lang's Fairy Books 9 Sold £160 · Dec 2023 I own The Brown Fairy Book, Longmans, Green 1904 Log in to want this
Later and other editions
- Longmans, Green1914 Hardback · Andrew Lang's Fairy Books 9 I own The Brown Fairy Book, Longmans, Green 1914 Log in to want this
We have not yet researched the issue points for this book. If you know how to tell the first from later printings, tell us and we will credit you once it is checked against a second source.
Awards, adaptations and setting
In print
- Editions recorded
- 312 on Open Library, 305 in English
- Free to read
- Project Gutenberg (out of copyright in the US)
From Wikidata and Open Library, both CC0. A prize or a new adaptation often lifts demand for the first printing.
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How to Identify a First Edition
To identify a first edition, check that your copy is the first printing of the first edition. Read the copyright …
Read the guide →6 min readBook Condition Grading: Fine to Poor Explained
Book condition grading uses a six-step trade scale: Fine, Near Fine, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor. Collectors grade the …
Read the guide →7 min readDust Jackets Explained: Why the Jacket Drives a Book's Value
For most books published since the 1920s, the original dust jacket carries a large share of the value, often most …
Read the guide →Frequently asked questions
Who published the first edition of The Brown Fairy Book?
The first edition of The Brown Fairy Book by Andrew Lang was published in New York [etc. by Longmans, Green in 1904.
How many editions of The Brown Fairy Book are there?
We track 2 editions of The Brown Fairy Book, including 1 first edition. Each has its own page with how to identify it.
Can I read The Brown Fairy Book for free?
Yes: the text is out of copyright in the United States and free to read on Project Gutenberg. Collectors still pay for the first edition, which is the physical object, not the words.
Where these facts come from
- The Langs' Fairy Books, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- Andrew Lang's Coloured Fairy Books, Lilly Library Blog, Indiana University, 2016 (blogs.libraries.indiana.edu)
- Author:Andrew Lang, Wikisource (en.wikisource.org)
Every fact on this page was checked against the sources listed. Checked 3 November 2026. Reviewed by Harriet Ellis; read how we check facts.
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