HANDSOME SET OF DICKENS’ WORKS, ILLUSTRATED FROM THE ORIGINAL ENGRAVINGS

DICKENS, Charles. The Works… With Introductions, General Essay, and Notes by Andrew Lang. WITH: FORSTER, John. The Life of Charles Dickens. London: Chapman and Hall, 1898-1900. Thirty-six volumes. Octavo, early three-quarter red morocco gilt, raised bands, marbled endpapers, top edges gilt, uncut. $8500.

Later edition of Dickens Works, illustrated with full-page steel-engraved plates from the original illustrations by various artists including Cruikshank, Phiz, Graves, and Tenniel, handsomely bound by Macdonald.

Dickens "in his own realm has always been unrivalled… His sleepless imagination exaggerated the comic side of everything, and developed the suggestions of reality into humorous idealisms far transcending the proportions of ordinary life" (Baker). "Printed from the edition that was carefully corrected by the author in 1867 and 1868" (Podeschi, D140). Also includes John Forster's two-volume Life of Charles Dickens. Gimbel D140. Bookplates.

A bit of scattered foxing, generally confined to title pages. A very attractive set.