Books

First Bentley edition, the third edition overall, and the first to be printed in one volume, accompanied by illustrations, with Austen named as author. Mansfield Park was first published in 1814, and the second edition followed in 1816. In 1832-3, Richard Bentley bought the copyright to all Austen's novels, none of which had been republished since 1818, to include them in his Standard Novels series: a line of affordable one-volume works by significant contemporary authors, with their revisions. The text for Austen's posthumously published novels, however, remained unaltered. Bentley continued to reprint his editions using stereotyped plates for decades. They dominated the market until 1869, and "the vast majority of Austen's readers during this period were therefore most likely to have encountered her work in Bentley's edition" (Halsey, p. 110). This copy is from the first issue, when each novel was published separately; later in 1833, Bentley reissued Austen's work as a set. Octavo (165 x 105 mm). Contemporary half calf, spine with raised bands tooled in gilt and blind, recent red and black morocco labels, Shell pattern marbled sides, brown speckled edges. Engraved vignette title and frontispiece by William Greatbach after Ferdinand Pickering (1811-1889). Binding a little worn, some discreet refurbishment, offsetting to free endpapers, the occasional spot to contents but overall fresh. A very good copy. Gilson D3; Keynes 104. Katie Halsey, Jane Austen and Her Readers, 1786-1945, 2013.

Fanny Price is sent to live with wealthy relatives at Mansfield Park, where she navigates the complexities of society and finds love.