The Novels of George Eliot

London: William Blackwood and Sons, c1880-1890 . Cloth. Fair. 8" by 5.5". Various. A seven volume set of the work of the talented novelist George Eliot. This set comprises of the 'cheap editions' of Eliot's works. Volumes I-VI are numbered to title pages whereas Middlemarch and Deronda are not, as called for. The publisher's advertisements to the front of Middlemarch explain this. Present are the following titles: Volume I : Adam Bede New Edition Volume II: The Mill on the Floss, Stereotyped Edition Volume III: Silas Marner, Stereotyped Edition Volume IV: Scenes of A Clerical Life Volume VI: Romola, Stereotyped Edition. Volume VII: Middlemarch, Stereotyped Edition, dated 1890. Volume VIII: Daniel Deronda dated 1891. This set is incomplete and lacking volume V: Felix Holt. With a vignette title page to all volumes. All plates to volumes I, II III and IV have been removed apart from the title page plates. Therefore, lacking six plates to first two volumes, lacking two plates to volume III and lacking five plates to volume IV. An incomplete set and lacking the plates. George Eliot was an English novelist, poet and translator. She was one of the leading novelists of the Victorian era and in total wrote seven novels known for their realism and psychological insight. In full red cloth bindings. Externally, sound. Slight slight bumping to the head and tail of spines and to the extremities. Small patches of rubbing to the joints and spines resulting in small losses to the cloth at spines and to the extremities. Ink spills to the boards of volume I. Front hinge to volume I is slightly strained but firm. Front hinge to volume II is tender with cords showing. Split to cloth at rear joint to volume I causing backstrip to lift at tail. Rear hinge is tender to volume I. Front hinge to volume III is tender. Rear hinge to volume III is tender. Both hinges to volume IV are tender. Prior owner's inscription to recto of front endpaper to all volumes J A Vine. Prior owner's inscription to advertising leaf to volume III. Same inscription to the half title page of volume VII. Damp staining to pastedowns and endpapers to volume VII. Split to cloth at rear joint to volume VII resulting in backstrip lifting. and loss to cloth at the head and tail of spine. Loss to the head and tail of spine to volume VIII. Internally, binding to all volumes are tender and loosening in places. Binding to volume III is weak and has failed at pages 128/129. Pages 129 onwards are bound to the rear pastedown and separated from the rest of textblock. Pages are generally bright with occasional scattered spots. Fair