The points of issue
First US edition and first English-language edition; Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1974, translated by William Weaver. Copyright page credits the Italian original 1972 and this translation 1974.
Is this the true first?
The world first is the Italian 'Le città invisibili' (Einaudi, Turin, 1972). The 1974 Harcourt US edition is the first edition in English (Weaver translation), preceding the UK Secker & Warburg edition issued later in 1974.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Harcourt and Vintage paperbacks carry full number lines and ISBNs and are reprints, not the first edition.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Invisible Cities (Le città invisibili) a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First US edition and first English-language edition; Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1974, translated by William Weaver. Copyright page credits the Italian original 1972 and this translation 1974.
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 Italian 'Le città invisibili' (Einaudi, Turin, 1972). The 1974 Harcourt US edition is the first edition in English (Weaver translation), preceding the UK Secker & Warburg edition issued later in 1974.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later Harcourt and Vintage paperbacks carry full number lines and ISBNs and are reprints, not the first edition.
I have a first edition of Invisible Cities (Le città invisibili) — 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.