Books

FIRST ENGLISH EDITION, price commensurate with condition and rarity. Vizetelly's one-volume novels XIII, London: Vizetelly & Co 1886. Publisher's advertisement to verso of half title with list of other one volume novels. 24 pgs of publisher's illustrated catalogue to rear dated 1885. Floral endpapers with some light browning, text clean. 195mm, bound in the original blue cloth which has age-appropriate scuffing/bruising to edges, lettered in red and black with four rules at the head and foot of the boards & spine, blind rule & blind-stamp publisher's motif to rear board. The front and spine have old damp damage which has stained the boards, back board has only a few small spots and light wear, spine is cocked, contents clean. There are some heavy cracks in the gutters making the boards a little shaky but the boards are still firmly attached. 10cm closed tear to pgs 197/198 and there is a previous owner's name in ink (historical, not new) to the top of the full title page. There are also some light, unobtrusive folds to the lower corners of pgs 389-394 and a 12cm sharp crease/fold to pg 267/268. There is a small (8mm) closed tear to the top edge of pgs 5/6 of the illustrated publisher's catalogue to rear. The translation is presented anonymously but is generally believed to have been by the Russian-born British novelist Frederick Wishaw. Both the English and American first editions are extremely rare and there are very few recorded sales (last recorded sale in March 2017 for NZ$25,900). This UK edition was published six months before the US edition, making this the TRUE FIRST EDITION in English, of which only seven copies are known to have advertising verso of the half title page (the earliest issue point) - this is presumably the 8th. There appear to be fewer than 10 copies held in libraries worldwide. Please feel free to contact us directly to discuss shipping or photographs- strongly recommended.

Crime and Punishment is a novel by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. It was first published in the literary journal 'The Russian Messenger' in twelve monthly installments during 1866. It is the second of Dostoevsky's full-length novels following his return from ten years of exile in Siberia. 'Crime and Punishment' is considered the first great novel of his 'mature' period of writing.