# Is "The Double" by José Saramago a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Double by José Saramago (Harcourt, 2004) is identified by: First English-language edition, 2004, translated by Margaret Jull Costa. First edition in English of O Homem Duplicado (Lisbon, Editorial Caminho, 2002).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First English-language edition, 2004, translated by Margaret Jull Costa
- Issued the same year by Harcourt in the US and The Harvill Press in the UK; the two English firsts are near-simultaneous, so neither is established as unambiguously prior
- Harcourt firsts of this era state First edition and carry a full descending number line
- Publisher imprint reads Harcourt
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | José Saramago |
| Publisher | Harcourt |
| Year | 2004 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First English-language edition, 2004, translated by Margaret Jull Costa |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First English-language edition, 2004, translated by Margaret Jull Costa. Issued the same year by Harcourt in the US and The Harvill Press in the UK; the two English firsts are near-simultaneous, so neither is established as unambiguously prior. Harcourt firsts of this era state First edition and carry a full descending number line.

## Is this the true first?
First edition in English of O Homem Duplicado (Lisbon, Editorial Caminho, 2002).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book-club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Double* by José Saramago a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-double-jos-saramago
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.