# Is "The Centaur" by John Updike a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Centaur by John Updike (Alfred A. Knopf, 1963) is identified by: 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page. US Knopf is the true first edition and precedes the UK Andre Deutsch edition of 1963.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page
- Cloth-backed boards
- First-issue jacket carries the printed price on the front flap and is coded the printed price on the rear flap
- Winner of the National Book Award for Fiction
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Updike |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1963 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page. Cloth-backed boards. First-issue jacket carries the printed price on the front flap and is coded the printed price on the rear flap. Winner of the National Book Award for Fiction (1964).

## Is this the true first?
US Knopf is the true first edition and precedes the UK Andre Deutsch edition of 1963.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club copies lack the 'FIRST EDITION' statement and the printed/coded first-issue jacket and typically carry a blind-stamped impression on the rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Centaur* by John Updike a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-centaur
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.