The points of issue
The true first English-language edition is Jonathan Cape, London, 1982, translated by Gregory Rabassa. The first US edition is Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1983 (cloth in dust jacket). Both are firsts in their respective markets, but the UK Cape edition precedes the US Knopf edition.
Is this the true first?
The world first is the Spanish 'Crónica de una muerte anunciada' (Editorial La Oveja Negra, Bogotá, 1981). The 1982 Jonathan Cape London edition is the first edition in English; the 1983 Knopf is the first US edition, published the following year.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club and later paperbacks are reprints. For first-English precedence, the 1982 Cape edition leads; the 1983 Knopf is the US first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Chronicle of a Death Foretold a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: The true first English-language edition is Jonathan Cape, London, 1982, translated by Gregory Rabassa. The first US edition is Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1983 (cloth in dust jacket). Both are firsts in their respective markets, but the UK Cape edition precedes the US Knopf edition.
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. The world first is the Spanish 'Crónica de una muerte anunciada' (Editorial La Oveja Negra, Bogotá, 1981). The 1982 Jonathan Cape London edition is the first edition in English; the 1983 Knopf is the first US edition, published the following year.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Book-club and later paperbacks are reprints. For first-English precedence, the 1982 Cape edition leads; the 1983 Knopf is the US first.
I have a first edition of Chronicle of a Death Foretold — 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.