# Is "A Fish in the Water: A Memoir" by Mario Vargas Llosa a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Fish in the Water: A Memoir by Mario Vargas Llosa (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1994) is identified by: First American edition, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 1994, stating 'First edition' on the copyright page; translated by Helen Lane (ISBN 0374155097). First edition in English of the memoir El pez en el agua (Spanish original, Editorial Seix Barral, 1993).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First American edition, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 1994, stating 'First edition' on the copyright page; translated by Helen Lane (ISBN 0374155097)
- Octavo, [x], 532, [2] pages, bound in black cloth-backed boards
- Issued in a photo-illustrated dust jacket that should retain the printed price at the lower flap
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Mario Vargas Llosa |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
| Year | 1994 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First American edition, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 1994, stating 'First… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First American edition, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 1994, stating 'First edition' on the copyright page; translated by Helen Lane (ISBN 0374155097). Octavo, [x], 532, [2] pages, bound in black cloth-backed boards. Issued in a photo-illustrated dust jacket that should retain the printed price at the lower flap.

## Is this the true first?
First edition in English of the memoir El pez en el agua (Spanish original, Editorial Seix Barral, 1993). A UK edition (Faber and Faber) also appeared; the FSG issue is the American first, identified by the stated 'First edition' line.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book club edition affecting the first-printing identification.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Fish in the Water: A Memoir* by Mario Vargas Llosa a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-fish-in-the-water-a-memoir
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.