The points of issue
First English edition; UK Harvill (Collins/Harvill imprint), 1992, cloth in dust jacket (ISBN 0-00-271140-0 / 9780002711401), translated by Margaret Jull Costa from 'Todas las almas.' This was the first Marías novel translated into English.
Is this the true first?
True first of the work is the Spanish 'Todas las almas' (Editorial Anagrama, Barcelona, 1989). The 1992 UK Harvill is the first edition in English and the first Marías in English; the US New Directions edition followed later.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later New Directions and Vintage/Penguin reprints are not the 1992 UK first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of All Souls a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First English edition; UK Harvill (Collins/Harvill imprint), 1992, cloth in dust jacket (ISBN 0-00-271140-0 / 9780002711401), translated by Margaret Jull Costa from 'Todas las almas.' This was the first Marías novel translated into English.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. True first of the work is the Spanish 'Todas las almas' (Editorial Anagrama, Barcelona, 1989). The 1992 UK Harvill is the first edition in English and the first Marías in English; the US New Directions edition followed later.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later New Directions and Vintage/Penguin reprints are not the 1992 UK first.
I have a first edition of All Souls — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.