The points of issue
First edition thus in English; cloth in dust jacket, 1970, the first American edition. Collects twenty stories (eleven not previously in book form in English) plus Borges's commentaries and an 'Autobiographical Essay' written for this volume directly in English with di Giovanni. This English compilation does not correspond exactly to the Spanish El Aleph (1949).
Is this the true first?
First-thus: the di Giovanni/Borges English Aleph is an original selection. The true first of the title story's home collection is the Spanish El Aleph (Editorial Losada, Buenos Aires, 1949). A UK edition (Cape, 1971) followed the US Dutton.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Dutton and paperback printings (e.g., Bantam, 1971) and the UK Cape are not the US cloth first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Aleph and Other Stories 1933–1969 a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition thus in English; cloth in dust jacket, 1970, the first American edition. Collects twenty stories (eleven not previously in book form in English) plus Borges's commentaries and an 'Autobiographical Essay' written for this volume directly in English with di Giovanni. This English compilation does not correspond exactly to the Spanish El Aleph (1949).
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. First-thus: the di Giovanni/Borges English Aleph is an original selection. The true first of the title story's home collection is the Spanish El Aleph (Editorial Losada, Buenos Aires, 1949). A UK edition (Cape, 1971) followed the US Dutton.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later Dutton and paperback printings (e.g., Bantam, 1971) and the UK Cape are not the US cloth first.
I have a first edition of The Aleph and Other Stories 1933–1969 — 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.