# Is "Strong Motion" by Jonathan Franzen a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Strong Motion by Jonathan Franzen (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1992) is identified by: Farrar, Straus and Giroux first edition, 1992 (ISBN 0-374-27105-3), with the 'First edition, 1992' statement on the copyright page and a number line descending to 1. The US Farrar, Straus and Giroux hardcover is the true first; the British edition follows.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Farrar, Straus and Giroux first edition, 1992 (ISBN 0-374-27105-3), with the 'First edition, 1992' statement on the copyright page and a number line descending to 1
- Bound in half red cloth over black paper boards with gilt lettering on the spine
- The first-issue dust jacket should retain the publisher's original front-flap price
- Franzen's second novel, following 'The Twenty-Seventh City.'
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Jonathan Franzen |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
| Year | 1992 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Farrar, Straus and Giroux first edition, 1992 (ISBN 0-374-27105-3), with the 'First edition, 1992' statement on the copyright page and a… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Farrar, Straus and Giroux first edition, 1992 (ISBN 0-374-27105-3), with the 'First edition, 1992' statement on the copyright page and a number line descending to 1. Bound in half red cloth over black paper boards with gilt lettering on the spine. The first-issue dust jacket should retain the publisher's original front-flap price. Franzen's second novel, following 'The Twenty-Seventh City.'

## Is this the true first?
The US Farrar, Straus and Giroux hardcover is the true first; the British edition follows. Franzen's second novel, scarcer than the later bestsellers.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book-club edition. A first printing shows the 'First edition, 1992' line, the number line ending in 1, and the printed front-flap price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Strong Motion* by Jonathan Franzen a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/strong-motion
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.