In spite of the almost universal recognition of La muerte de Artemio Cruz as Fuentes' masterpiece and the publicity surrounding each new publication, La región más transparente continues to reach a substantial body of new and appreciative readers each year. At most recent count it had gone through more than a dozen Spanish printings and has been continually available in English.

Perhaps the most significant publishing event of the seventies regarding the book was its inclusion in the 1,414 page Obras completas, volume I, done by Aguilar in 1974. The pages have been reset in a sightly larger format which is easier to read, although each continues to contain thirty-six lines. The newer version also includes the useful "Cuadro Cronológico" and the list of "personajes" which had first appeared in the French edition.

There seems to be only a very slight revision of...