The points of issue
First English edition, translated by Sam Hileman: Farrar, Straus & Company cloth in dust jacket, New York, 1964 (306 pages). Translation of 'La muerte de Artemio Cruz.'
Is this the true first?
The true first edition is the Spanish 'La muerte de Artemio Cruz' (Fondo de Cultura Económica, Mexico City, 1962). The 1964 Farrar, Straus is the first English-language edition. A later Alfred MacAdam translation (1991) is a distinct new translation, not a reprint of the Hileman text.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Noonday/Farrar, Straus paperbacks reprint the Hileman translation and are not the 1964 cloth first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Death of Artemio Cruz a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First English edition, translated by Sam Hileman: Farrar, Straus & Company cloth in dust jacket, New York, 1964 (306 pages). Translation of 'La muerte de Artemio Cruz.'
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 true first edition is the Spanish 'La muerte de Artemio Cruz' (Fondo de Cultura Económica, Mexico City, 1962). The 1964 Farrar, Straus is the first English-language edition. A later Alfred MacAdam translation (1991) is a distinct new translation, not a reprint of the Hileman text.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later Noonday/Farrar, Straus paperbacks reprint the Hileman translation and are not the 1964 cloth first.
I have a first edition of The Death of Artemio Cruz — 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.