Collins, Wilkie.

8vo (190 x 124mm.), 3 volumes, first edition, half titles, 2pp. advertisements at front of volume 2 and also at end of volume 3, original purple blind-stamped cloth, spines lettered in gilt within decorative panel, slipcase, some gatherings slightly loose, paste-downs in volume 3 repaired, former stamps neatly removed from paste-downs, spines slightly faded, some slight wear to extremities of binding, covers slightly marked  

Mrs J. Insley Blair, book labels, sale of property from her library at Sotheby's New York, 3 December 2004, lot 128

Sadleir 598; Wolff 1368; Parrish p.89

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, when appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

First edition of the author's classic work: "the first, the longest, and the best of modern English detective novels" (T.S. Eliot). Very rare in the original cloth.

Inspired by the case of Constance Kent, who murdered her younger brother in 1860, and by the Northumberland Street murder, The Moonstone has remained both a literary classic and a classic of its genre, filled with unforgettable characters. The author's achievement in writing and completing it is all the more remarkable in that he was under enormous stress when composing the novel: his mother (to whom he dedicated the work) died in March 1868, Collins himself suffered great ill-health at the same time (he was too unwell to attend his mother's funeral), and he had to turn to an amanuensis to whom he dictated portions of the story. 

"Probably the finest detective story ever written" (Dorothy L. Sayers).