# Is "Carpenter's Gothic" by William Gaddis a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Carpenter's Gothic by William Gaddis (Viking Press, 1985) is identified by: True first issued by Viking (Elisabeth Sifton Books imprint) in 1985. US Viking first (1985) is the true first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- True first issued by Viking (Elisabeth Sifton Books imprint) in 1985
- Identify by the copyright-page printing statement showing the first printing (number line terminating in 1, with a 'First published in 1985' / first-printing notation) and a first-issue dust jacket carrying the original price on the front flap
- A separately issued signed/limited state also exists
- Publisher imprint reads Viking Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | William Gaddis |
| Publisher | Viking Press |
| Year | 1985 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | True first issued by Viking (Elisabeth Sifton Books imprint) in 1985 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
True first issued by Viking (Elisabeth Sifton Books imprint) in 1985. Identify by the copyright-page printing statement showing the first printing (number line terminating in 1, with a 'First published in 1985' / first-printing notation) and a first-issue dust jacket carrying the original price on the front flap. A separately issued signed/limited state also exists.

## Is this the true first?
US Viking first (1985) is the true first edition. The UK edition (Andre Deutsch) follows in 1986.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book-club edition for the trade first; later trade printings are marked by the number line and printing statement.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Carpenter's Gothic* by William Gaddis a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/carpenters-gothic
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.