Books

London: Bradbury and Evans, 1846. xii, 311pp, [1]. Original cloth, decorative gilt spine, wreath design in gilt to upper cover, in blind to lower, within blind stamped border, primrose endpapers. Spine faded, covers slightly faded, slightly rubbed and bumped and spine slightly cocked. Internally the text is fairly bright and clean, plates with usual browning to edges and occasionally to image, two with marginal tears. Uncommon one volume edition of Oliver Twist, with twenty-four Cruikshank plates, originally published in parts. See Smith, page 37. First Thus. Hardback. Good. Illus. by Cruikshank, George. 8vo.

Oliver Twist; or, the Parish Boy's Progress is Charles Dickens's second novel, and was first published as a serial from 1837 to 1839. The story centers on orphan Oliver Twist, born in a workhouse and sold into apprenticeship with an undertaker. After escaping, Oliver travels to London, where he meets the 'Artful Dodger', a member of a gang of juvenile pickpockets led by the elderly criminal Fagin.

First editions of 'Oliver Twist' can be identified by their three volumes published by Richard Bentley in 1838, featuring 24 steel-engraved plates by George Cruikshank and no mention of the author’s name on the title page. Subsequent editions after Dickens’s death may also include his name as the author.