The points of issue
First English-language edition; Harper & Row cloth in dust jacket, 1976, translated by Gregory Rabassa (269 pp). Translation of 'El otoño del patriarca.'
Is this the true first?
The world first is the Spanish 'El otoño del patriarca' (1975). The 1976 Harper & Row edition is the first edition in English, preceding the Jonathan Cape London edition of 1977 (which has a different page count, 229 pp).
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Avon and other paperbacks are reprints. The 1977 Cape London edition is a separate first British edition, not a reprint of the US.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Autumn of the Patriarch a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First English-language edition; Harper & Row cloth in dust jacket, 1976, translated by Gregory Rabassa (269 pp). Translation of 'El otoño del patriarca.'
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 'El otoño del patriarca' (1975). The 1976 Harper & Row edition is the first edition in English, preceding the Jonathan Cape London edition of 1977 (which has a different page count, 229 pp).
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later Avon and other paperbacks are reprints. The 1977 Cape London edition is a separate first British edition, not a reprint of the US.
I have a first edition of The Autumn of the Patriarch — 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.