Books

London: Jonathan Cape, 1988. First Edition. Unbound. Near Fine. Uncorrected galley proofs of the first edition. 136 unbound sheets printed on rectos only plus one final blank sheet; without illustrations. Textual pages dated 23.11.87 at tops; question marks in the heading of the Contents page indicate no printer had been appointed yet; chapter pages on Contents page all numbered 000. Near Fine with light toning and a bit of wear. A scarce format of the of the Dahl's best-known works.

Matilda is a children's novel by British writer Roald Dahl. It was first published in 1988 by Jonathan Cape in London, with 232 pages and illustrations by Quentin Blake. The story is about a young prodigy named Matilda Wormwood, who loves reading books and has the power of telekinesis. She faces challenges from her neglectful parents and the tyrannical headmistress Miss Trunchbull, and seeks solace in books and her kind-hearted teacher, Miss Honey.

To verify if a copy of 'Matilda' is a first edition, one should check the publication date, publisher (Jonathan Cape), and look for the presence of Quentin Blake's illustrations specific to the first edition. Additionally, later editions typically mention subsequent printings or editions.