The points of issue
First of the Wonderland Quartet. Vanguard Press, New York, 1967 on the title and copyright pages, with no statement of a later printing. Green cloth, approximately 440 pp. Original pictorial dust jacket with the price present on the front flap. A 1968 National Book Award finalist.
Is this the true first?
US Vanguard, 1967 is the true first. Oates substantially revised the text for the 2003 Modern Library edition, so the 1967 Vanguard is the textual first; note the actual title is 'A Garden of Earthly Delights' (some listings drop the leading article).
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club issues lack the price on the jacket flap, often carry a blind-stamp to the rear board and a gutter code on the last text page.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of A Garden of Earthly Delights a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First of the Wonderland Quartet. Vanguard Press, New York, 1967 on the title and copyright pages, with no statement of a later printing. Green cloth, approximately 440 pp. Original pictorial dust jacket with the price present on the front flap. A 1968 National Book Award finalist.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. US Vanguard, 1967 is the true first. Oates substantially revised the text for the 2003 Modern Library edition, so the 1967 Vanguard is the textual first; note the actual title is 'A Garden of Earthly Delights' (some listings drop the leading article).
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Book-club issues lack the price on the jacket flap, often carry a blind-stamp to the rear board and a gutter code on the last text page.
I have a first edition of A Garden of Earthly Delights — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.