# Is "Kiss of the Spider Woman" by Manuel Puig a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Kiss of the Spider Woman by Manuel Puig (Editorial Seix Barral, Barcelona, 1976) is identified by: True first is the Spanish 'El beso de la mujer araña' (Editorial Seix Barral, Barcelona, 1976), a paperback in the 'Nueva Narrativa Hispánica' series; because of censorship under the Argentine dictatorship the novel was first published in Spain rather than in Puig's native Argentina, where it was banned until 1983. Spanish-language true first (Seix Barral, Barcelona, 1976 — issued in Spain because it was banned in Argentina).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- True first is the Spanish 'El beso de la mujer araña' (Editorial Seix Barral, Barcelona, 1976), a paperback in the 'Nueva Narrativa Hispánica' series; because of censorship under the Argentine dictatorship the novel was first published in Spain rather than in Puig's native Argentina, where it was banned until 1983
- The first edition in English, translated by Thomas Colchie, was published by Alfred A. Knopf, New York, in 1979 (hardcover, 281 pp.; jacket-priced trade issue, price present at the flap)
- This US Knopf edition is the true first in English and precedes the first UK edition (Arena/Arrow paperback, 1984)
- Publisher imprint reads Editorial Seix Barral, Barcelona
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Manuel Puig |
| Publisher | Editorial Seix Barral, Barcelona |
| Year | 1976 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | True first is the Spanish 'El beso de la mujer araña' (Editorial Seix Barral, Barcelona, 1976), a paperback in the 'Nueva Narrativa… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
True first is the Spanish 'El beso de la mujer araña' (Editorial Seix Barral, Barcelona, 1976), a paperback in the 'Nueva Narrativa Hispánica' series; because of censorship under the Argentine dictatorship the novel was first published in Spain rather than in Puig's native Argentina, where it was banned until 1983. The first edition in English, translated by Thomas Colchie, was published by Alfred A. Knopf, New York, in 1979 (hardcover, 281 pp.; jacket-priced trade issue, price present at the flap). This US Knopf edition is the true first in English and precedes the first UK edition (Arena/Arrow paperback, 1984).

## Is this the true first?
Spanish-language true first (Seix Barral, Barcelona, 1976 — issued in Spain because it was banned in Argentina). In English the New York Knopf 1979 (Colchie) is the true first and precedes the first UK edition (Arena, 1984) — the usual US-before-UK order for a US-originated translation.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later movie tie-in printings (after the 1985 film) and the 1984 Arena UK paperback are later issues, not the 1979 Knopf first. No prominent book-club issue is documented for the first English hardcover.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Kiss of the Spider Woman* by Manuel Puig a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/kiss-of-the-spider-woman
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.