# Is "A House in the Country" by José Donoso (trans. David Pritchard with Suzanne Jill Levine) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A House in the Country by José Donoso (trans. David Pritchard with Suzanne Jill Levine) (Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1984) is identified by: First American edition, translated by David Pritchard with Suzanne Jill Levine: Alfred A. The true first edition is the Spanish 'Casa de campo' (Seix Barral, 1978).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First American edition, translated by David Pritchard with Suzanne Jill Levine: Alfred A. Knopf cloth in dust jacket, New York, 1984 (352 pages
- ISBN 0-394-50949-8)
- Translation of 'Casa de campo.' As a Knopf first the copyright page carries the stated 'First American Edition' line (used because the book had already appeared abroad in Spanish) together with the 'This is a Borzoi Book' notice, and the Borzoi colophon appears at the rear
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf, New York
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | José Donoso (trans. David Pritchard with Suzanne Jill Levine) |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf, New York |
| Year | 1984 |
| True first | American edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First American edition, translated by David Pritchard with Suzanne Jill Levine: Alfred A. Knopf cloth in dust jacket, New York, 1984 (352… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First American edition, translated by David Pritchard with Suzanne Jill Levine: Alfred A. Knopf cloth in dust jacket, New York, 1984 (352 pages; ISBN 0-394-50949-8). Translation of 'Casa de campo.' As a Knopf first the copyright page carries the stated 'First American Edition' line (used because the book had already appeared abroad in Spanish) together with the 'This is a Borzoi Book' notice, and the Borzoi colophon appears at the rear.

## Is this the true first?
The true first edition is the Spanish 'Casa de campo' (Seix Barral, 1978). The 1984 Knopf is the first American edition; a first UK edition was issued the same year by Allen Lane in light blue paper boards with a gilt-lettered spine and pictorial priced jacket. The two 1984 English editions appear essentially concurrent, so verify priority if exact precedence is needed; the US Knopf is the standard cited English first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later paperbacks (including the Knopf Aventura paperback) are reprints, not the 1984 cloth first; a genuine Knopf first is confirmed by the 'First American Edition' statement on the copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A House in the Country* by José Donoso (trans. David Pritchard with Suzanne Jill Levine) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-house-in-the-country
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.