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THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD
by DICKENS, CHARLES
- Used
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
Greencastle, Pennsylvania, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
London: Chapman and Hall, 1870., 1870. First edition. First edition in book form. With twelve illustrations by S. L. Fildes and a portrait. Octavo, recently bound in a period style binding of three quarter morocco over marbled paper boards, the spine with raised bands decorated and ruled gilt in compartments, contrasting red title label, by Byzantium Bindery. 190 pp, Frontispiece portrait of Dickens and Vignette title page, twelve full-page engravings inserted within the text. With all textual errors, as called for by Walter E. Smith in CHARLES DICKENS IN THE ORIGINAL CLOTH (1981). A few pages with small corner creases, a few minor stains to the margins; overall a very clean, attractive copy in fine modern binding, very handsome and pleasing. This remains one of the great unfinished and unsolved literary mysteries. Only three serial parts were written when Dickens died on June 9, 1870, publication of the work continued, and on completion with part 6 of all available material, the vast army of readers was left high and dry as to "The Mystery." This copy is lightly foxed, else in fine condition and handsomely bound in three-quarter leather and marbled paper over boards, raised bands, and titles stamped in gold gilt on the spine. Haycraft/Queen Cornerstone.
Synopsis
The Mystery of Edwin Drood marked the last of Charles Dickens novels, and was left unfinished in its publication. It follows the story of an orphan, Edwin Drood who worked as an engineer for his adoptive father’s firm, and his betrothal to fellow orphan Rosa Bud. As they come to age there is recognition that their love has been replaced by friendship, and the engagement is soon broken off. Shortly afterwards, in the middle of a storm on Christmas Eve, Edwin disappears, leaving nothing behind but some personal belongings and the suspicion that his killer was his jealous uncle John Jasper, or a fellow orphan Neville, who were both madly in love with Rosa. The fantastical story intrigues the reader with the darkness the opium dens within the sleepy cathedral town of Cloisterham, and the sinister double life of Choirmaster Jasper, whose drug-fuelled fantasy life belies his respectable appearance. Charles Dickens passed before the novel could be completed, leaving a tantalizing mystery that will never be solved.
Read More: Identifying first editions of THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD
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Details
- Bookseller
- BUCKINGHAM BOOKS
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 40771
- Title
- THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD
- Author
- DICKENS, CHARLES
- Book Condition
- Used
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First edition
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Publisher
- Chapman and Hall, 1870.
- Place of Publication
- London
- Date Published
- 1870
Terms of Sale
BUCKINGHAM BOOKS
We accept checks and all major credit cards. Prices are NET to all. PA residents must add 6% sales tax. It is our preference to ship via either UPS or Priority Mail. All oversized books and all shipments outside the U.S. will be charged actual shipping, insurance, and handling costs. All parcels shall be shipped insured. All items may be returned within 7 days of receipt with prior notification. We request any items for return be sent by their original shipping route, be well packaged and fully insured.
About the Seller
BUCKINGHAM BOOKS
Biblio member since 2006
Greencastle, Pennsylvania
About BUCKINGHAM BOOKS
Buckingham Books specializes in new, used and rare books dealing with Mystery and Western Americana. Books in the mystery field include not only Mystery, but also Detective, Espionage, and Adventure Fiction. Our Western Americana Section offers books about the development of the American West. All books in our inventory are First Editions unless clearly stated otherwise.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Vignette
- A decorative design or illustration placed at the beginning or end of a ...
- Raised Band(s)
- Raised bands refer to the ridges that protrude slightly from the spine on leather bound books. The bands are created in the...
- 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...
- Marbled Paper
- Decorative colored paper that imitates marble with a veined, mottled, or swirling pattern. Commonly used as the end papers or...
- Foxed
- Foxing is the age related browning, or brown-yellowish spots, that can occur to book paper over time. When this aging process...
- 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....
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- Octavo
- Another of the terms referring to page or book size, octavo refers to a standard printer's sheet folded four times, producing...
- Morocco
- Morocco is a style of leather book binding that is usually made with goatskin, as it is durable and easy to dye. (see also...
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- 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...
- 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...
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