# Is "Wonderland" by Joyce Carol Oates a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Wonderland by Joyce Carol Oates (Vanguard Press, 1971) is identified by: Fourth of the Wonderland Quartet. The US Vanguard Press 1971 hardcover is the true first and the only hardcover printing to carry the original, pre-revision ending; the revised ending first appeared in the 1972 paperback.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Fourth of the Wonderland Quartet
- The 1971 Vanguard Press hardcover carries Oates's original ending; she revised the ending for the 1972 paperback, so the 1971 hardcover preserves a distinct earlier textual state
- As with other Vanguard firsts, the first printing is identified by the absence of any later-printing notation on the copyright page
- Publisher imprint reads Vanguard Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Joyce Carol Oates |
| Publisher | Vanguard Press |
| Year | 1971 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Fourth of the Wonderland Quartet |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Fourth of the Wonderland Quartet. The 1971 Vanguard Press hardcover carries Oates's original ending; she revised the ending for the 1972 paperback, so the 1971 hardcover preserves a distinct earlier textual state. As with other Vanguard firsts, the first printing is identified by the absence of any later-printing notation on the copyright page.

## Is this the true first?
The US Vanguard Press 1971 hardcover is the true first and the only hardcover printing to carry the original, pre-revision ending; the revised ending first appeared in the 1972 paperback.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A book-club edition has no price on the jacket flap and shows a blind-stamped rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Wonderland* by Joyce Carol Oates a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/wonderland
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.