# Is "A Frolic of His Own" by William Gaddis a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Frolic of His Own by William Gaddis (Poseidon Press, 1994) is identified by: Poseidon Press (a Simon and Schuster imprint), New York, 1994. The US Poseidon Press hardcover of 1994 is the true first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Poseidon Press (a Simon and Schuster imprint), New York, 1994
- First printing carries the full number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 on the copyright page
- Bound in quarter blue cloth over brown paper-covered boards with brown lettering to the spine
- The first-issue dust jacket must retain the printed price on the front flap; verified copies are unclipped firsts
- Publisher imprint reads Poseidon Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | William Gaddis |
| Publisher | Poseidon Press |
| Year | 1994 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Poseidon Press (a Simon and Schuster imprint), New York, 1994 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Poseidon Press (a Simon and Schuster imprint), New York, 1994. First printing carries the full number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 on the copyright page. Bound in quarter blue cloth over brown paper-covered boards with brown lettering to the spine. The first-issue dust jacket must retain the printed price on the front flap; verified copies are unclipped firsts.

## Is this the true first?
The US Poseidon Press hardcover of 1994 is the true first edition. It won the 1994 National Book Award for Fiction, Gaddis's second such award after JR in 1976, and was his fourth novel.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions lack the full number line and the printed jacket price, are typically smaller and lighter in the boards, and may carry a blind stamp to the rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Frolic of His Own* by William Gaddis a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-frolic-of-his-own
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.