Darconville’s Cat and it’s First Edition points…
Alexander Theroux’s Darconville’s Cat is widely considered one of the most ambitious and stylistically daring American novels of the 20th century. Praised for its rich language, encyclopedic style, and philosophical depth, the novel has gained a cult following among literary collectors. Published by Doubleday in 1981, it remains a prized acquisition for collectors of modern literature. But how do you know you’ve got the true First Edition? Let’s break down the First Issue points.
Publisher Information
Publisher: Doubleday & Company, Inc.
Year of Publication: 1981
Place: Garden City, New York
First Edition Statement
Line 6 of the copyright page should state:
“First Edition”Doubleday used the “First Edition” phrase as the sole identifier during this period (unlike later publishers who used descending number lines).
Dust Jacket Points
The dust jacket carries crucial first edition indicators:
Price: The original price of $15.95 is printed on the top of the front flap.
No Book Club Edition (BCE) mark: There should be no BCE blind stamp or box on the rear board or jacket, and no “Book Club Edition” statement anywhere.
Jacket Design: The front panel features a bold self portrait painting by the author with white lettering.
The spine reads “Darconville’s Cat / Alexander Theroux (in green) / Doubleday.”
Physical Characteristics
Binding: Black cloth spine and boards with gold stamped author signature to the front board.
Title stamping: The title and author’s name appear in gold on the spine.
Endpapers: Black.
Page block: Usually untrimmed fore-edge (deckled), consistent with Doubleday's practice at the time.
Perhaps the most notable signifier of a first printing is located on page 483. This page will show a “checkerboard” like pattern on first issues. In subsequent issues this page was all black, as the author originally intended.
Gutter Code to page 704 reads: V25
Dimensions
Standard 8vo (approx. 9.5 x 6.5 inches)
704 pages in total.
Known Variants
There are no widely known issue variants of Doubleday first editions aside from possible later printings (which omit the “First Edition” statement on the copyright page). Some copies will show the “First Edition” statement to the copyright page, however, if page 483 does not also have the checkerboard pattern, the issue is a second (or later) printing.
Collector’s Note
Due to its limited commercial run, Darconville’s Cat’s true first edition is uncommon, particularly in Fine or Near Fine condition with a clean dust jacket. Copies signed by Alexander Theroux are especially prized and can command significantly higher prices in the rare book market. It’s also important to note: many copies were remaindered and will have the commonly found remainder spray to the bottom text block as was the Doubleday standard during this era.
If you're lucky enough to come across a copy of Darconville’s Cat with all these points intact—especially one in collectible condition—hold onto it. You're looking at one of the most distinctive and challenging novels of the postmodern era, and a sleeper collectible that's quietly climbing in value.
Are you a collector of modern firsts? Follow along for more breakdowns of elusive literary gems and their identifying marks.
