# Is "The Witching Hour" by Anne Rice a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Witching Hour by Anne Rice (Alfred A. Knopf, 1990) is identified by: Knopf, 1990, launch of the Lives of the Mayfair Witches. The US Knopf first is the true first, collected within the Rice corpus and as a gothic high spot.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Knopf, 1990, launch of the Lives of the Mayfair Witches
- The first edition states 'FIRST EDITION' on the copyright page with the Borzoi colophon
- First-state dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap
- Half black cloth, roughly 965 pages
- (Rice's 'Interview with the Vampire' is a separate, already-indexed title.)
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Anne Rice |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1990 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Knopf, 1990, launch of the Lives of the Mayfair Witches |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Knopf, 1990, launch of the Lives of the Mayfair Witches. The first edition states 'FIRST EDITION' on the copyright page with the Borzoi colophon. First-state dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap. Half black cloth, roughly 965 pages. (Rice's 'Interview with the Vampire' is a separate, already-indexed title.)

## Is this the true first?
The US Knopf first is the true first, collected within the Rice corpus and as a gothic high spot. Confirm the stated 'FIRST EDITION' and the priced first-state jacket.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Watch for the Book-of-the-Month Club edition (no price on the jacket, blind stamp on the rear board, lighter boards). The true first carries the Knopf 'FIRST EDITION' statement and a priced jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Witching Hour* by Anne Rice a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-witching-hour
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.