# Is "The War of the End of the World" by Mario Vargas Llosa a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The War of the End of the World by Mario Vargas Llosa (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1984) is identified by: First US edition, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 1984, with 'First edition' stated on the copyright page; translated by Helen R. First English translation of La guerra del fin del mundo (1981).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First US edition, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 1984, with 'First edition' stated on the copyright page; translated by Helen R. Lane
- A separate signed, numbered limited issue also exists
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Mario Vargas Llosa |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
| Year | 1984 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First US edition, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 1984, with 'First edition' stated… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First US edition, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 1984, with 'First edition' stated on the copyright page; translated by Helen R. Lane. A separate signed, numbered limited issue also exists.

## Is this the true first?
First English translation of La guerra del fin del mundo (1981).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book-club edition point documented; the stated 'First edition' identifies the true first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The War of the End of the World* by Mario Vargas Llosa a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-war-of-the-end-of-the-world
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.