# Is "The Accidental Tourist" by Anne Tyler a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler (Alfred A. Knopf, 1985) is identified by: Knopf 1985, a Borzoi book; copyright page states FIRST EDITION with the Borzoi colophon. US Knopf 1985 is the true first; the UK Chatto & Windus edition followed.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Knopf 1985, a Borzoi book; copyright page states FIRST EDITION with the Borzoi colophon
- Because the novel won the National Book Critics Circle Award and was later filmed, it was heavily reprinted, so a true first must show the stated FIRST EDITION with no additional-printing statement on the copyright page
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Anne Tyler |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1985 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Knopf 1985, a Borzoi book; copyright page states FIRST EDITION with the Borzoi colophon |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Knopf 1985, a Borzoi book; copyright page states FIRST EDITION with the Borzoi colophon. Because the novel won the National Book Critics Circle Award and was later filmed, it was heavily reprinted, so a true first must show the stated FIRST EDITION with no additional-printing statement on the copyright page.

## Is this the true first?
US Knopf 1985 is the true first; the UK Chatto & Windus edition followed.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings and tie-in issues drop the stated FIRST EDITION; film tie-in and later trade reprints are common.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Accidental Tourist* by Anne Tyler a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-accidental-tourist
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.