American Notes for General Circulation In Two Volumes. Vol. I. [II.]

London: Chapman and Hall, 1842. Full Description:

DICKENS, Charles. American Notes for General Circulation. In Two Volumes. Vol. I. [II.] London: Chapman and Hall, 1842.

Mixed issue. First edition, first issue, of Volume I. With preliminaries to Volume I misnumbered (p. [x] misnumbered xvi) and with all issue points according to Smith. Second edition of Volume II. Two octavo volumes (7 7/8 x 5 inches; 200 x 125 mm). [12], 308; vii, [1, blank], 306, [6, ads] pp. Untrimmed.

Both volume in original reddish brown ribbed blindstamped cloth. Volume I in horizontally ribbed cloth and Volume II in vertically ribbed cloth. Volume I rebacked with original spine laid down. Spines stamped in blind and lettered in gilt. Original pale yellow coated endpapers. Edges untrimmed. Contemporary bookseller's sticker and previous owner's bookplate on the front pastedown of Volume I. Spines very slightly sunned. Spine ends a bit worn. Volume II with some minor bumping and chipping. Volume one, with minimal loss of cloth to top and bottom of spine. Volume I with some small marginal closed tears to leaves E7 and U2, not affecting text. Leaf E6 with a small repaired closed tear touching text but with not loss. Overall a very nice copy.

“Not one of Dickens’ books was the subject of so much adverse criticism as the book he wrote after his return from America in 1842. He composed a chapter which he intended for the introduction to the volumes, which may have softened the American attitude, had it been printed. But a week before the ‘Notes’ appeared it was decided to cancel it....Forster, in the ‘Life,’ prints the eliminated chapter in full under the heading: ‘Introductory, and necessary to be Read.’ Before the suppression was agreed upon the sheets had been partly printed and the pagination was not altered. Later and before the first edition was exhausted, the pagination was revised” (Eckel).

Smith II, 3. Eckel, pp. 108-109.

HBS 69268.

$1,000. (Inventory #: 69268)