The points of issue
First English edition is the UK Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1946, translated by John Marks, issued under the title 'Pascual Duarte's Family' (not 'The Family of Pascual Duarte'). Cloth in dust jacket. This precedes the better-known Anthony Kerrigan translation, which appeared as 'The Family of Pascual Duarte' from Little, Brown (Boston, 1964).
Is this the true first?
True first of the work is the Spanish 'La familia de Pascual Duarte' (Ediciones Aldecoa, Burgos, 1942). The first edition in English is the 1946 Eyre & Spottiswoode (Marks translation, titled 'Pascual Duarte's Family'), not the 1964 Kerrigan. The familiar title 'The Family of Pascual Duarte' belongs to the later 1964 Kerrigan translation, which is a 'first thus' for that text.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The 1964 Little, Brown Kerrigan edition (titled 'The Family of Pascual Duarte') and Dalkey Archive reissues are not the 1946 first English.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Family of Pascual Duarte a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First English edition is the UK Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1946, translated by John Marks, issued under the title 'Pascual Duarte's Family' (not 'The Family of Pascual Duarte'). Cloth in dust jacket. This precedes the better-known Anthony Kerrigan translation, which appeared as 'The Family of Pascual Duarte' from Little, Brown (Boston, 1964).
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. True first of the work is the Spanish 'La familia de Pascual Duarte' (Ediciones Aldecoa, Burgos, 1942). The first edition in English is the 1946 Eyre & Spottiswoode (Marks translation, titled 'Pascual Duarte's Family'), not the 1964 Kerrigan. The familiar title 'The Family of Pascual Duarte' belongs
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
The 1964 Little, Brown Kerrigan edition (titled 'The Family of Pascual Duarte') and Dalkey Archive reissues are not the 1946 first English.
I have a first edition of The Family of Pascual Duarte — 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.