CHRISTMAS STORIES by Charles Dickens - 1849

1849. hardcover. Dickens, Charles. CHRISTMAS STORIES; Consisting of[:] A Carol. The Chimes. The Cricket. Battle of Life. New York: John Wiley, 1849. Original blind-stamped green cloth. <p><u>First Collected Edition of Dickens's first four Christmas books</u>, second issue (dated 1849 rather than 1848) -- preceding the English edition by three years. Since this originally came out in 1848, only the first four were included, since THE HAUNTED MAN was not published until the very end of that year. There is a volume title page as above, plus individual title pages for the separately-paginated stories each also dated 1849 (though curiously there is no such page for THE CRICKET -- as with the only other copy we have had).</p> <p>This copy is bound in the original blind-stamped green cloth, still with the original endpapers. Condition is very good, with a worn spot at a top corner of the front board and other minor wear -- also the usual foxing on the leaves. Not in Podeschi (Yale); Carr (UTexas) B429 (green cloth and dated 1849, as here).</p> (Sumner & Stillman Code:11351)