Manuel Puig Signed Firsts: A Reference

Manuel Puig (1932–1990) is the Argentine novelist whose work dissolves the boundary between “high” literature and popular culture. His novels incorporate movie plots, tangos, radio serials, and gossip as narrative material, treating popular culture with the same formal sophistication that other writers reserve for “serious” subjects. Kiss of the Spider Woman — adapted as a Broadway musical and an Oscar-winning film — is his most widely known work.

Key Titles

• Kiss of the Spider Woman (El beso de la mujer araña, 1976 / English 1979)
• Heartbreak Tango (Boquitas pintadas, 1969 / English 1973)

Signed Copy Market Values

Puig died in 1990. Signed copies are scarce.

• Signed English firsts: $100–$250
• Unsigned English firsts: $15–$30

Puig’s reputation has grown substantially since his death — his fusion of popular culture and literary fiction anticipated much of contemporary fiction’s approach to genre and mass media.