The points of issue
First US/first English edition, Alfred A. Knopf, 1985 (published April 12, 1985), cloth in dust jacket. Translated by Magda Bogin (not Margaret Sayers Peden, who translated Allende's later titles). A recognized first-printing point of issue is on page 147, where the first state shows a defective line break (an incomplete line 11); later printings correct this. First printing otherwise per Knopf practice (no later printing statement). Signed copies exist.
Is this the true first?
True first is the Spanish La casa de los espiritus (Plaza & Janes, Barcelona, 1982). The 1985 Knopf is the first English-language edition; a UK Jonathan Cape edition also appeared in 1985, but the US Knopf is generally cited as the first edition in English.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club issues exist for this title and are distinguished by a blind-stamp on the rear board, smaller bulk/cheaper paper, and absence of a jacket price; the Knopf trade first carries the priced jacket and shows the page 147 point. Later Bantam paperbacks are reprints.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The House of the Spirits a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First US/first English edition, Alfred A. Knopf, 1985 (published April 12, 1985), cloth in dust jacket. Translated by Magda Bogin (not Margaret Sayers Peden, who translated Allende's later titles). A recognized first-printing point of issue is on page 147, where the first state shows a defective line break (an incomplete line 11); later printings correct this. First printing otherwise per Knopf practice (no later printing statement). Signed copies exist.
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 is the Spanish La casa de los espiritus (Plaza & Janes, Barcelona, 1982). The 1985 Knopf is the first English-language edition; a UK Jonathan Cape edition also appeared in 1985, but the US Knopf is generally cited as the first edition in English.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Book-club issues exist for this title and are distinguished by a blind-stamp on the rear board, smaller bulk/cheaper paper, and absence of a jacket price; the Knopf trade first carries the priced jacket and shows the page 147 point. Later Bantam paperbacks are reprints.
I have a first edition of The House of the Spirits — 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.