GREAT EXPECTATIONS. In Three Volumes

1861. [in original cloth] Fifth Edition. London: Chapman and Hall, 1861. Original wavy-grain blind-stamped violet cloth with gilt-decorated spines.

"Fifth Edition," so-called on the three title pages (but technically the fifth of the five slightly-differing 1861 impressions of the first edition). GREAT EXPECTATIONS was one of the few Dickens novels that did not first appear in monthly serial parts; instead it appeared in 36 weekly numbers of Dickens's periodical All The Year Round. Also, GREAT EXPECTATIONS was one of only two Dickens novels not to be illustrated as a first edition (the other being HARD TIMES). The five "editions" of this three-decker (truncated) all have title pages dated 1861; the first (with no mention of an "Edition" on the title pages) was in the public's hands by July 6th; the "Second" was published on August 5th, followed by the "Third" on August 17th, the "Fourth" on September 21st, and this "Fifth" on October 30th. Although Walter Smith (in 1982) stated "these first five issues were probably printed at a single impression and published with altered title pages to imply and encourage a rapid sale," it has since been shown (the 1993 Clarendon Edition analysis by Margaret Cardwell) that there are subtle differences among the five issues (many of them instances of type slippage) -- not always correlating with the title page "edition." (There are only seven issue points that involve actual re-setting of the type, as opposed to type deterioration (see Clarendon p. 493); in the "Fifth Edition" they read "in" on Vol I page 259 line 7, "to get" on Vol II page 205 line 20, "there's" on Vol III page 173 line 26, "very | carefully" on Vol III page 192 lines 11-12, "be- | tween" on Vol III p. 228 lines 21-22, "shackled" on Vol III p. 262 line 11, and "had begun" on Vol III p. 317 line 18.) This set is still in the original publisher's wavy-grain violet cloth, blind-stamped on the covers and decorated in gilt on the spines; GREAT EXPECTATIONS was published without half-titles, and in this set none of the three volumes has an ad catalogue. Condition is very good-plus, perhaps even near-fine -- with NO "improvements" such as rebacking, recasing, or later endpapers. The three spines are uniformly slightly darkened (as always with this color), there is just a hint of wear at the extremities, and there is a small scrape on the Vol II rear cover. Remarkably, all six endpapers are the original delicate pale-yellow ones, and only those in Vol III exhibit some cracking. The actual first issue of GREAT EXPECTATIONS, without an "Edition" cited on the title pages, is the Holy Grail for Dickens collectors, since it is virtually impossible to find in fine condition in original cloth (most copies having gone directly from the publisher to Mudie's Select Library, where they were rented out fortnightly). The first issue, in original cloth, now brings between $50,000 and $100,000 depending upon condition; even rebound, it is a major investment. Thus these subsequent "editions," in the same binding and bearing the same date as the first, are greatly sought-after for the majority of us seeking the primary format without such a cost. Housed in a cloth clamshell case with leather labels. Cardwell/Clarendon Appendix D (pp 491-499); Smith I pp 99-104; C.P. Johnson p. 33 ("the first edition was almost entirely taken up by the libraries"). Provenance: the title pages of Vols I and II bear the 1862 signature of Catherine Stourton of Holme (of which there are several); the title page of Vol III bears the signature of Mary Topham. (Inventory #: 15658)