# Is "John's Wife" by Robert Coover a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of John's Wife by Robert Coover (Simon & Schuster, 1996) is identified by: First printing of the 1996 Simon & Schuster edition (ISBN 0684818418, 428 pp), identified by a full number line including 1 on the copyright page and a priced dust jacket with the price present on the front flap. True first is the 1996 Simon & Schuster edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing of the 1996 Simon & Schuster edition (ISBN 0684818418, 428 pp), identified by a full number line including 1 on the copyright page and a priced dust jacket with the price present on the front flap
- Bound in quarter red cloth spine over cream paper-covered boards with gilt spine lettering; the cream first-issue jacket carries black lettering to front and spine, with jacket design by Carin Goldberg
- Publisher imprint reads Simon & Schuster
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert Coover |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
| Year | 1996 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing of the 1996 Simon & Schuster edition (ISBN 0684818418, 428 pp), identified by a full number line including 1 on the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First printing of the 1996 Simon & Schuster edition (ISBN 0684818418, 428 pp), identified by a full number line including 1 on the copyright page and a priced dust jacket with the price present on the front flap. Bound in quarter red cloth spine over cream paper-covered boards with gilt spine lettering; the cream first-issue jacket carries black lettering to front and spine, with jacket design by Carin Goldberg.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 1996 Simon & Schuster edition.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *John's Wife* by Robert Coover a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/johns-wife
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.