Bleak House
by Dickens, Charles
- Used
- near fine
- first
- Condition
- Near Fine
- Seller
-
Pasadena, California, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
London: Bradbury & Evans, 1853. First edition. Near Fine. Complete with all 40 plates which include the frontispiece, title-page and the 10 "dark plates." Has all three typographical errors associated with the first edition, first issue: P.19, line 6: "elgble"; P.209, line 23: "chair" instead of "hair"; and P.275, line 22: "counsinship" instead of "cousinship." Bound by Bayntun-Riviere in full green crushed morocco with a gilt portrait of Dickens on the front board and gilt signature on the rear. Marbled end papers all edges gilt. Front outer joint a little tender. Extremely clean internally, with much less foxing than is typically seen. A very handsome copy overall.
One of Dickens' finest novels, the action in Bleak House revolves around a never-ending set of related Chancery Court cases to resolve the inheritance of a considerable estate. Dickens turns his pen to a biting condemnation of the system and the need for reform (which shouldn't surprise the Dickens scholar). A complex novel and filled with subplots, it engages and titillates the reader from start to finish. Noted by some for Inspector Bucket's prominent role in investigating a murder, which earned it a spot on the Haycraft-Queen cornerstone list of detective fiction, the novel is also memorable for its complex representation of femininity. "There's more to Esther than simple good nature. As the book progresses she reveals a dark, angry wit. It is a wit that can still strike a chord today" (The Guardian). An important social commentary, and Dickens at his best. Near Fine.
One of Dickens' finest novels, the action in Bleak House revolves around a never-ending set of related Chancery Court cases to resolve the inheritance of a considerable estate. Dickens turns his pen to a biting condemnation of the system and the need for reform (which shouldn't surprise the Dickens scholar). A complex novel and filled with subplots, it engages and titillates the reader from start to finish. Noted by some for Inspector Bucket's prominent role in investigating a murder, which earned it a spot on the Haycraft-Queen cornerstone list of detective fiction, the novel is also memorable for its complex representation of femininity. "There's more to Esther than simple good nature. As the book progresses she reveals a dark, angry wit. It is a wit that can still strike a chord today" (The Guardian). An important social commentary, and Dickens at his best. Near Fine.
Synopsis
Bleak House is the ninth novel by Charles Dickens, published in twenty monthly installments between March 1852 and September 1853. It is held to be one of Dickens's finest novels, containing one of the most vast, complex and engaging arrays of minor characters and sub-plots in his entire canon. The story is told partly by the novel's heroine, Esther Summerson, and partly by omniscient narrator.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Whitmore Rare Books (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 6130
- Title
- Bleak House
- Author
- Dickens, Charles
- Book Condition
- Used - Near Fine
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First edition
- Publisher
- Bradbury & Evans
- Place of Publication
- London
- Date Published
- 1853
Terms of Sale
Whitmore Rare Books
15 day return guarantee, with full refund if an item arrives damaged or not matching the description.
About the Seller
Whitmore Rare Books
Biblio member since 2009
Pasadena, California
About Whitmore Rare Books
We operate a retail shop in "Old Town" Pasadena open normal business hours Tuesday through Saturday.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- Gilt
- The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Edges
- The collective of the top, fore and bottom edges of the text block of the book, being that part of the edges of the pages of a...
- Morocco
- Morocco is a style of leather book binding that is usually made with goatskin, as it is durable and easy to dye. (see also...