# Is "Mr. Palomar" by Italo Calvino a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Mr. Palomar by Italo Calvino (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1985) is identified by: US Harcourt Brace Jovanovich 1985 first edition, a Helen and Kurt Wolff book, with First American edition stated and the HBJ letter line beginning at A (First Edition / A B C D E), since 1985 is after the 1973 to 1983 no-A window. First English translation of Palomar (Einaudi, 1983).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Harcourt Brace Jovanovich 1985 first edition, a Helen and Kurt Wolff book, with First American edition stated and the HBJ letter line beginning at A (First Edition / A B C D E), since 1985 is after the 1973 to 1983 no-A window
- Translated by William Weaver
- Publisher imprint reads Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Italo Calvino |
| Publisher | Harcourt Brace Jovanovich |
| Year | 1985 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Harcourt Brace Jovanovich 1985 first edition, a Helen and Kurt Wolff book, with First… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US Harcourt Brace Jovanovich 1985 first edition, a Helen and Kurt Wolff book, with First American edition stated and the HBJ letter line beginning at A (First Edition / A B C D E), since 1985 is after the 1973 to 1983 no-A window. Translated by William Weaver.

## Is this the true first?
First English translation of Palomar (Einaudi, 1983). US Harcourt and UK Secker and Warburg editions both appeared in 1985.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A later book-club printing lacks the stated First edition line and the A-initial letter string and usually has no jacket price; identify by the missing number line rather than by a stamp.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Mr. Palomar* by Italo Calvino a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/mr-palomar
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.