First impression
1995At a glance
Points of issue
- copyright pagenumber line includes the figure 1→ first impression
- Dust jacket, front flapPrinted price on the front flap: £15.99→ first issue jacket
First edition
Hardback
The Unconsoled (1995)
Identification points are listed only where two independent sources agree. Last reviewed 21 Oct 2026.
Market value
What decides the price
- It is the first edition, which is the one collectors want.
- The first printing is told from later ones by 2 points of issue listed below.
- The original dust jacket carries much of the price for a book of this age; its condition matters as much as the book's.
- Condition is graded separately for book and jacket, from Fine down to Poor.
Buy a copy: eBay
Sales record
No sales recorded yet
We value a printing from verified sales of that exact printing, and none of the first impression has come to auction in our records so far. The chart and the value by condition appear here as soon as one does.
Pro members with this book on their wantlist are emailed when it sells under their price.
Quick answer
| Published | Faber & Faber, London, 1995 |
|---|---|
| Spot it | Copyright page: number line includes the figure 1 |
| Also check | Dust jacket, front flap: Printed price on the front flap: £15.99 |
| Binding | Hardback |
- How do I identify a The Unconsoled first edition?
- Check these points. Copyright page: number line includes the figure 1. Dust jacket, front flap: Printed price on the front flap: £15.99. Each point is confirmed by at least two independent sources.
- Who published The Unconsoled first edition?
- Faber & Faber, London, in 1995, in hardback.
How to identify this edition
The true first edition is the Faber and Faber hardback, London, 1995: 535 pages, ISBN 0 571 17387 X, in black boards with the title on the spine and a pictorial dust jacket priced £15.99 on the front flap. In a first impression the number line on the copyright page still contains the figure 1; once that figure is missing the copy is a later impression. Many copies on the market have clipped jackets, which removes the price. The Knopf edition and Faber paperbacks are not the UK first, and an Australian issue carries a jacket priced in Australian dollars.
How Faber & Faber marked its first editions
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.
Printing by printing
Printings and states
Frequently asked questions
How do I identify a The Unconsoled first edition?
Check these points. Copyright page: number line includes the figure 1. Dust jacket, front flap: Printed price on the front flap: £15.99. Each point is confirmed by at least two independent sources.
Who published The Unconsoled first edition?
Faber & Faber, London, in 1995, in hardback.
Where these facts come from
- British National Bibliography, record GB9521802
- The unconsoled, British National Bibliography record GB9521802 (London: Faber, 1995
- 535p
- ISBN 057117387X), British Library (BNB Linked Open Data, 2018) (doi.org)
- The Unconsoled (Faber, London, 1995
- 535 p.), Open Library edition OL18658703M (openlibrary.org)
- The Unconsoled, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- The Unconsoled, Faber 1995, first printing, PW Books, AbeBooks (abebooks.co.uk)
- The Unconsoled, Faber 1995, signed first printing, Books & Bidders, AbeBooks (abebooks.co.uk)
- Kazuo Ishiguro, The Unconsoled, Signed First Edition 1995, John Atkinson Books (johnatkinsonbooks.co.uk)
Points of issue are listed only where at least two independent sources agree. Last reviewed 21 October 2026. Reviewed by Harriet Ellis; read how we check facts.
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