# Is "Every Third Thought: A Novel in Five Seasons" by John Barth a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Every Third Thought: A Novel in Five Seasons by John Barth (Counterpoint, 2011) is identified by: Counterpoint, 2011 (published October 11, 2011), 208 pages, ISBN 9781582437552. True first is the 2011 Counterpoint hardcover; there is no earlier or competing first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Counterpoint, 2011 (published October 11, 2011), 208 pages, ISBN 9781582437552
- First printing identified by the 'First Edition' statement together with a descending printer's key ending in 1 on the copyright page; issued in trade cloth with a priced first-issue dust jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Counterpoint
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Barth |
| Publisher | Counterpoint |
| Year | 2011 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Counterpoint, 2011 (published October 11, 2011), 208 pages, ISBN 9781582437552 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Counterpoint, 2011 (published October 11, 2011), 208 pages, ISBN 9781582437552. First printing identified by the 'First Edition' statement together with a descending printer's key ending in 1 on the copyright page; issued in trade cloth with a priced first-issue dust jacket.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 2011 Counterpoint hardcover; there is no earlier or competing first edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None notable.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Every Third Thought: A Novel in Five Seasons* by John Barth a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/every-third-thought-a-novel-in-five-seasons
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.