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A Christmas Carol
by Dickens, Charles
- Used
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
Portland, Oregon, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
London: Chapman & Hall, 1843. First edition. First edition, first printing. "Stave I" on page [1] and every single textual point uncorrected as per Calhoun and Heaney. Todd's first impression, first issue with 15mm between wreath and left blindstamping, unbroken "D." Title page printed in preferred red and blue, dated 1843 in Roman numerals; half title and verso of title page printed in blue. Smith II.4. [viii], 166, [2] pp. with hand-colored steel engraved frontispiece and three steel engraved plates within text. Bound in publisher's brown ribbed cloth with elaborate gilt and blind stamping, all edges gilt, variant green endpapers. Near Fine with crisp stamping, hint of toning to spine, hairline crack in front gutter but binding sturdy, a few light spots of foxing to text at front, typical offsetting to endpapers. Bright internally. Tissue guards present. Housed in a custom chemise. An excellent copy of the classic Christmas story, rare in the original cloth.
Written by Dickens during a period when the British were exploring and re-evaluating past Christmas traditions, including carols, and newer customs such as Christmas cards and Christmas trees. He was influenced by the experiences of his own youth and by the Christmas stories of other authors including Washington Irving. The novella captured the zeitgeist of the mid-Victorian revival of the Christmas holiday. Dickens acknowledged the influence of the modern Western observance of Christmas, and in turn, his novella would go on to later influence several aspects of Christmas traditions, including family gatherings, seasonal food and drink, dancing, games and a festive generosity of spirit.
Synopsis
The full title of Charles Dickens' most famous work is technically A Christmas Carol in Prose, Being a Ghost-Story of Christmas. This novella was published on December 19, 1843, and the first edition run of 6000 copies were sold out by Christmas Eve of that year. The publication of the first edition was fraught with complications, and even though the book was received to positive reviews, profits of the book fell far below Dickens' expectations, and the financial strain caused rifts between Dickens and the original publisher, Chapman & Hall.
Reviews
On Oct 7 2014, a reader said:
It was interesting to read this story and see what was from Dickens' original text and was part of the many movie adaptations about Scrooge evil ways coming back to haunt him.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Burnside Rare Books, ABAA
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 140944724
- Title
- A Christmas Carol
- Author
- Dickens, Charles
- Book Condition
- Used
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First edition
- Publisher
- Chapman & Hall
- Place of Publication
- London
- Date Published
- 1843
- Bookseller catalogs
- Literature;
Terms of Sale
Burnside Rare Books, ABAA
30 day return guarantee, with full refund including shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged.
About the Seller
Burnside Rare Books, ABAA
Biblio member since 2010
Portland, Oregon
About Burnside Rare Books, ABAA
Burnside Rare Books specializes in literary first editions and works of cultural and historic significance. We are located in Portland, Oregon and welcome visitors by appointment.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Title Page
- A page at the front of a book which may contain the title of the book, any subtitles, the authors, contributors, editors, the...
- Verso
- The page bound on the left side of a book, opposite to the recto page.
- Crisp
- A term often used to indicate a book's new-like condition. Indicates that the hinges are not loosened. A book described as crisp...
- Gilt
- The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
- Gutter
- The inside margin of a book, connecting the pages to the joints near the binding.
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- Gatherings
- A term used in bookbinding, where a gathering of sheets is folded at the middle, then bound into the binding together. The...
- Half Title
- The blank front page which appears just prior to the title page, and typically contains only the title of the book, although, at...
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- Edges
- The collective of the top, fore and bottom edges of the text block of the book, being that part of the edges of the pages of a...
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
Frequently asked questions
This Book’s Categories
- Children & Juvenile Children’s Fiction & Literature
- Children & Juvenile Picture Books
- Fiction & Literature Classic Literature
- Fiction & Literature English Fiction
- Fiction & Literature Individual Authors Charles Dickens
- Fiction & Literature Literary Studies Literary Criticism
- Fiction & Literature Science Fiction & Fantasy Fantasy
- Children & Juvenile Juvenile & Young Adult Juvenile Fiction & Literature Juvenile Classics
- Children & Juvenile Juvenile & Young Adult Juvenile Fiction & Literature Juvenile Christmas Fiction
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