MISS MACKENZIE. In Two Volumes by Trollope, Anthony - 1865

1865. London: Chapman and Hall, 1865. Original blind-stamped dark green cloth.

First Edition. According to Trollope's autobiography, he wrote this novel with a desire to prove that a novel may be produced without any love... In order that I might be strong in my purpose, I took for my heroine a very unattractive old maid [of 35!], who was overwhelmed with money troubles; but even she was in love before the end of the book... Gerould observes that Originally titled "The Modern Griselda," this is an amusing example of the way Trollope's characters, as they developed in his mind, contrived to write their own story -- in this instance quite against his will. MISS MACKENZIE is among Trollope' scarcer titles, ranked by Sadleir fourteenth among the 50+ fiction titles. There was at least one copy (described by Sadleir) bound in maroon cloth, but this dark green cloth binding is the standard one. This copy, though re-backed (one can see later dark green cloth at the spine ends), is in very good condition, with a small snag on a rear joint and minor discoloration. The set retains the original pale-yellow endpapers, both half-titles, and the Vol II ad leaf (there never was a Vol I ad leaf). We have never seen a fine, or even a near-fine, copy of this title. Sadleir (TROLLOPE) 20.