# Is "Violin" by Anne Rice a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Violin by Anne Rice (Alfred A. Knopf, 1997) is identified by: Knopf, New York, 1997; a Borzoi Book in cloth with dust jacket. The Knopf US trade edition is the widely collected first appearance in trade form.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1997; a Borzoi Book in cloth with dust jacket
- The first trade printing states 'First Edition' with the year 1997 on the copyright page and carries no later-printing statement; the first-issue jacket bears the printed price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Anne Rice |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1997 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1997; a Borzoi Book in cloth with dust jacket |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1997; a Borzoi Book in cloth with dust jacket. The first trade printing states 'First Edition' with the year 1997 on the copyright page and carries no later-printing statement; the first-issue jacket bears the printed price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
The Knopf US trade edition is the widely collected first appearance in trade form. A signed, numbered limited edition of 325 copies, issued by B.E. Trice Publishing in a velvet-covered slipcase, precedes the trade issue for collectors seeking the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club and later printings lack the stated 'First Edition' line on the copyright page; verify that line is present and that the jacket carries its printed price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Violin* by Anne Rice a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/violin
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.