"At the rate
The world
Is going
It will
Be
Poor old
Everybody."

J.P. Donleavy from The Onion Eaters

Donleavy comments in an interview that this book differs from all of his other fiction in that it is the only work in which all the characters are socially climbing downward.

The Onion Eaters is among Donleavy's best work.

The Onion Eaters

Cloth | Delacorte Press, NY, 1971, 306 pages.

First trade edition.

The Onion Eaters

Cloth | Delacorte Press, NY, 1971, 306 pages.

BCE/BOMC edition. Slightly smaller than the first trade edition.

The Onion Eaters

Cloth | E&S (Eyre & Spottiswoode Ltd.), London, 1971 - 334 pages.

First UK edition. Red boards with gold foil stamped emblem title & publisher's logo.

To purchase books by J.P. Donleavy, go to the Buyers' Guide.

The Onion Eaters

Cloth | BCA (Book Club Associates), London, 1971, 334 pages.

Very similar in appearance to the E&S edition. Only difference on dust jackets is the publisher's logo on the spine. However, boards beneath jacket are blue and the foil stamped title and logo are silver. This is the UK book club hardcover edition, and ironically, since most book sellers eschew book club editions, this edition is now harder to find than the UK trade edition.

The Onion Eaters

Cloth | Taiwan piracy of Delacorte edition, no date.

Much thinner than authorized US edition. Thin, cheap paper and binding materials. End papers have some imprinting in Chinese. Collectors and book sellers, note that there were NO authorized Asian printings of any Delacorte Press editions of Donleavy titles. All Taiwan and/or Hong Kong editions printed in English are piracies.

The Onion Eaters

Wraps | Penguin, Middlesex, England, 1972 - ISBN 014003496X - 290 pages.

First UK paperback edition.

The Onion Eaters

Wraps | Dell, New York, June 1972 - ISBN 44006643125 - 335 pages

First US mass market paperback edition.

The Onion Eaters

Wraps | Dell, New York, August, 1972 - ISBN 44006643125 - 335 pages

2nd Dell printing.

De unieneters

Wraps | De Bezige Bij, Amsterdam, 1972 - ISBN 9023404033 - 338 pages

Dutch translation.

The Onion Eaters

Wraps | Penguin, Middlesex, England, 1975 - ISBN 014003496X - 290 pages.

2nd Penguin printing.

"Western alphabet title?"

Cloth | Publisher/city?, 1975 - 284 pages

Japanese translation. From the library of J.P. Donleavy. Cover photo by Bill Dunn. Very special thanks to J.P. Donleavy and Bill Dunn for this addition to the Compendium site.

Mangeurs d' oignons

Wraps | Denoël, Paris, 1976 - 292 pages

French translation.

The Onion Eaters

Wraps | Penguin, Middlesex, England, 1977 - ISBN 014003496X - 290 pages.

3rd Penguin printing.

The Onion Eaters

Wraps | Dell, New York, Nov. 1977 - ISBN 0440366437 - 335 pages.

First Dell Laurel printing.

The Onion Eaters

Wraps | Penguin, Middlesex, England, 1978 - ISBN 014003496X - 290 pages.

4th Penguin printing.

5th through 7th printings being sought.

The Onion Eaters

Wraps | Penguin, Middlesex, England, 1983 - ISBN 014003496X

8th Penguin printing.

The Onion Eaters

Wraps | Penguin, Middlesex, England, ???? - ISBN 014003496X

9th Penguin printing. No publication date given. Cover design has elements of JPD Penguin editions in the mid to late '80s.

The Onion Eaters

Wraps | Penguin, Middlesex, England, ???? - ISBN 014003496X

10th Penguin printing. No publication date given. Cover design has elements of JPD Penguin editions in the mid to late '80s.

Mangeurs d' oignons

Wraps | 10/18 (an imprint of Denoël), Paris, 1987 - 381 pages - ISBN 2264001585

2nd Denoël printing.

Mangeurs d' oignons

Wraps | 10/18 (an imprint of Denoël), Paris, 1995 - 381 pages - ISBN 2264001585

3rd. Denoël printing.

Lukoedy

Wraps | EKSMO, Moskva, 2004 | ISBN 5699065857

Russian translation .