THE CLAVERINGS. A Novel

1866. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1866. Original "grayish reddish brown" diagonal dot-and-ribbon grain cloth.

First Edition (preceding the UK) of these adventures of Harry Clavering, beginning with Julia Brabazon jilting him in favor of a wealthy old debauchee. Trollope himself later recalled that "I consider the story as a whole to be good, though I am not aware that the public ever corroborated that verdict." Included are 24 of the 32 illustrations (in the text) that Mary Ellen Edwards prepared for Smith Elder's Cornhill Magazine (UK) serialization, which ran from February 1866 through May 1867. Both Littell's Living Age (Boston) and (truncated) Galaxy (New York) were also publishing this serially, from the Cornhill issues; but then Harper -- not then known for its professional courtesy -- suddenly published this edition on February 8, 1867 (but dated 1866), forcing both US serials to quickly wrap up the final nine chapters of the tale -- and beating out Smith Elder, who did not publish the two-volume UK edition until April 20th, waiting for their Cornhill serialization to run its course. This copy is in what Smith considers to be the primary cloth binding; there were five other variants, as well as paper wrappers. This copy is very good-plus (very slight wear at the extremities, a faint separation of spine cloth, spine faded as always) -- with both the front free endpaper and the two leaves of terminal ads excised. W. Smith pp 82-91. (Inventory #: 15690)