Dickens, Our Mutual Friend, 1864-1865, first edition in the original 19/20 parts

DICKENS, CHARLES

Our Mutual Friend. London: Chapman and Hall, May 1864--November 1865

8vo (222 x 141mm.), FIRST EDITION IN THE ORIGINAL 19/20 PARTS, 40 wood-engravings by Marcus Stone, lacking the 4pp. "Economic Life Assurance Society" advertisement in parts 14 and 19/20, but otherwise with all advertisements and slips as called for by Hatton & Cleaver (including "Foreign Bank Notes" slip in final part), part 13 with additional slip for "Charles Auchester" inserted before "Our Mutual Friend Advertiser", "Scottish Union Fire Life Insurance Company" inset at the end of part 9 printed on the scarcer white ribbed paper ('... of 45 copies examined, only two were seen of this paper... ": Hatton & Cleaver), original green printed wrappers, preserved in green cloth chemise and quarter green morocco slipcase, some very expert restoration to some of the spines and small portions of wrappers (including parts 1 and 19/20, with loss of a few letters), some minor tears to edges of wrappers, some occasional spotting

FIRST EDITION IN PARTS OF DICKENS' FINAL FULLY-COMPLETED NOVEL which, with its two love stories at its centre, complex plotting and scathing social satire is now regarded as one of his greatest achievements. While writing it the author was deeply shaken by the experience of being involved in a serious railway accident when travelling back from France with Nelly Ternan and her mother. Ten people died and Dickens administered to the injured and dying in the hours afterwards.

REFERENCE:

Hatton and Cleaver p.345-370