THE WOODLANDERS (First one-volume edition, with a new preface by the author, especially written for this edition)

Thomas Hardy

Verlag: Osgood, McIlvaine and Co., 45 Albemarle Street, London, 1896

Beschreibung

First impression of the first one volume edition and first edition thus - Wessex Novels Volume VII, with a new two-page preface written by the author especially for this one-volume edition. The original three volume true first edition was published by Macmillan and Co, in 1887. Illustrated with a tissue-guarded black and white steel-engraved frontispiece etching by H. Macbeth-Raeburn, and a black and white map: 'The Wessex of the Novels' to the rear, as called for. ***Very good in dark green cloth-covered boards with gilt titles to the spine and a gilt circular floral illustration with 'TH' monogram to front board. Top edge of text-block gilt. Fore-edge and bottom edge of text-block untrimmed (rough-cut as called for). Head and tail of spine rubbed, nicked and creased, with a small amount of loss of the green cloth at the head of the spine. Corners rubbed and creased. Boards show some wear and marks commensurate with age and handling - in particular, there is a small are of the front board showing through where the cloth has worn away. Internally the book is also very good, with no inscriptions. Some foxing to the endpapers but the pages are mostly clean - just a light splash mark to the first page of the preface. The binding is secure and not shaken. No splitting. Spine tight. with a steel-engraved frontispiece showing "The Country of 'The Woodlanders' - drawn on the spot." - lacking the tissue-guard. ***208mm x148mm. vi prelim-pages including the two-page preface by Thomas Hardy written in September 1895, plus 460 pages, and a black and white map of 'The Wessex of the Novels' at the back of the book. ***'"The Woodlanders" was serialised from May 1886 to April 1887 in Macmillan's Magazine and published in three volumes in 1887. It is one of his series of Wessex novels. The novel was later classified by Hardy for the Wessex Edition of his works in the primary group of "Novels of Character and Environment". Yet despite it being regarded as one of Hardy's major novels, the novel is 'something of an anomaly', in comparison with the tragic depth of both its predecessor "The Mayor of Casterbridge" and its successor "Tess of the D'Urbervilles." The novel reflects common Hardy themes: a rustic, evocative setting, poorly chosen marriage partners, unrequited love, social class mobility, and an unhappy, or at best equivocal, ending. As with most his other works, opportunities for fulfilment and happiness are forsaken or delayed. "The Woodlanders" was widely praised. It was declared by the Saturday Review in April 1887 to be, "the best [novel] that Hardy has written", by Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch, "his loveliest if not his finest book", by William Lyon Phelps, "the most beautiful and most noble of Hardy's novels", and by A. Edward Newton, "one of the best novels of the last half century". The late nineteenth century English author George Gissing read the novel in March 1888 "with much delight" but felt that the "human part is --- painfully unsatisfactory". The novel remained a personal favourite of Hardy's. Newman Flower recounted that Hardy named it to him as his "favourite novel", and 25 years after its publication, Hardy wrote that, "On taking up "The Woodlanders" and reading it after many years, I like it as a story best of all." (Wiki) ***First impression of the first one-volume edition, in its original gilt decorated cloth-covered boards, in nice condition for a book that is now 125 years old. Of interest to collectors of antiquarian literature and in particular Thomas Hardy first edition titles. Uncommon. ***For all our books, postage is charged at cost, allowing for packaging: any shipping rates indicated on ABE are an average only: we will reduce the P & P charge where appropriate - please contact us for postal rates for heavier books and sets etc. Bestandsnummer des Verkäufers 7926x

Bibliografische Details

Titel: THE WOODLANDERS (First one-volume edition, ...

Verlag: Osgood, McIlvaine and Co., 45 Albemarle Street, London

Erscheinungsdatum: 1896

Einband: Hardcover

Illustrator: H. Macbeth-Raeburn (frontispiece etching)

Zustand: Very Good

Zustand des Schutzumschlags: No Jacket

Auflage: First One Volume Edition