# Is "Kant and the Platypus" by Umberto Eco a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Kant and the Platypus by Umberto Eco (Harcourt Brace, 1999) is identified by: US Harcourt Brace & Company, New York, 1999 (ISBN 0-15-100447-1), translated by Alastair McEwen. First English-language edition of Kant e l'ornitorinco (Bompiani, Milan, 1997), which is the true first appearance of the work.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Harcourt Brace & Company, New York, 1999 (ISBN 0-15-100447-1), translated by Alastair McEwen
- The first printing is a stated First Edition on the copyright page carrying the full Harcourt descending letter line with the terminal 'A' present (reading down to A)
- Octavo, roughly 464 pages; the dust jacket bears the platypus cover image and should retain its printed price (present or clipped is immaterial to the printing point)
- Cited in the Contursi Eco bibliography as A042e
- Publisher imprint reads Harcourt Brace
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Umberto Eco |
| Publisher | Harcourt Brace |
| Year | 1999 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Harcourt Brace & Company, New York, 1999 (ISBN 0-15-100447-1), translated by Alastair McEwen |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
US Harcourt Brace & Company, New York, 1999 (ISBN 0-15-100447-1), translated by Alastair McEwen. The first printing is a stated First Edition on the copyright page carrying the full Harcourt descending letter line with the terminal 'A' present (reading down to A). Octavo, roughly 464 pages; the dust jacket bears the platypus cover image and should retain its printed price (present or clipped is immaterial to the printing point). Cited in the Contursi Eco bibliography as A042e.

## Is this the true first?
First English-language edition of Kant e l'ornitorinco (Bompiani, Milan, 1997), which is the true first appearance of the work.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book-club edition. Later printings drop the 'A' from the letter line; presence of the terminal 'A' confirms the first printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Kant and the Platypus* by Umberto Eco a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/kant-and-the-platypus
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.