# Is "Laughable Loves" by Milan Kundera a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Laughable Loves by Milan Kundera (Alfred A. Knopf, 1974) is identified by: First American edition, Alfred A. First English-language edition of the story collection Smesne lasky.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First American edition, Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1974; translated from the Czech by Suzanne Rappaport, with an introduction by Philip Roth, and issued as part of Roth's 'Writers from the Other Europe' series
- Bound in dark mustard cloth with the spine lettered in gilt; the top page edges are dyed lilac
- Issued in a pictorial dust jacket with the price printed on the front flap (that printed price should be present, though a price-clipped jacket does not by itself disqualify a first)
- The collection gathers seven stories
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Milan Kundera |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1974 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First American edition, Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1974; translated from the Czech by Suzanne Rappaport, with an introduction by Philip… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First American edition, Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1974; translated from the Czech by Suzanne Rappaport, with an introduction by Philip Roth, and issued as part of Roth's 'Writers from the Other Europe' series. Bound in dark mustard cloth with the spine lettered in gilt; the top page edges are dyed lilac. Issued in a pictorial dust jacket with the price printed on the front flap (that printed price should be present, though a price-clipped jacket does not by itself disqualify a first). The collection gathers seven stories.

## Is this the true first?
First English-language edition of the story collection Smesne lasky. Precedes any later Penguin reissue, which appeared in a revised form.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Confirm the true first by the absence of any later-printing statement on the copyright page; the dark mustard cloth, gilt spine, and lilac-dyed top edges together with the priced pictorial jacket support first-printing identification, as no reliable single blind-stamp point is documented.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Laughable Loves* by Milan Kundera a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/laughable-loves
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.