Books

London: Chapman and Hall, 1859. First edition. Very Good +. Octavo (leaves 212 x 133 mm). First edition, bound from the original monthly parts as published from June to December 1859, with the stab-holes visible; this copy with the earliest state of p. 213 misnumbered “113” and the signature “b” present on the list of plates, as preferred by collectors. Bound by Maclehose, Glasgow, in three-quarter burgundy morocco over marbled boards, marbled end papers, and marbled page edges. Outer joints professionally repaired, a short tear to the printed title page (no loss), with light-moderate foxing, mostly near the plates and a few stains to the leaves (80-81 and 98-99). Engraved frontispiece, vignette title and 14 plates by H. K. Browne (Phiz); despite the flaws a handsome copy overall. Dickens’s great historical romance, set during the French Revolution, remains one of his best known and most widely read works. The novel was also serialized in the weekly journal All the Year…

A Tale of Two Cities is a historical novel by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The novel tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long imprisonment in the Bastille in Paris and his release to live in London with his daughter Lucie, whom he had never met. The story is set against the conditions that led up to the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror.

First editions of 'A Tale of Two Cities' can be identified by the presence of the publisher's name, Chapman & Hall, on the title page. Additionally, the phrase 'All the Year Round' on the title page indicates that it might be a first edition as the book was serialized there alongside its initial publication in book form.