# Is "The Clock Winder" by Anne Tyler a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Clock Winder by Anne Tyler (Alfred A. Knopf, 1972) is identified by: Knopf, New York, 1972. US Knopf 1972 is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Knopf, New York, 1972
- The true first states 'FIRST EDITION' on the copyright page with the Knopf borzoi colophon; green cloth lettered in gilt
- Tyler's fourth novel and among the scarcer early firsts in a fine first-issue jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Anne Tyler |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1972 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Knopf, New York, 1972 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Knopf, New York, 1972. The true first states 'FIRST EDITION' on the copyright page with the Knopf borzoi colophon; green cloth lettered in gilt. Tyler's fourth novel and among the scarcer early firsts in a fine first-issue jacket.

## Is this the true first?
US Knopf 1972 is the true first. The UK Chatto & Windus edition followed in 1973, so the US edition precedes.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions lack the stated 'FIRST EDITION' on the copyright page and the jacket typically carries no printed price; they are often on thinner paper and bear a small blind-stamped dot on the rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Clock Winder* by Anne Tyler a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-clock-winder
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.