Nina Balatka The Story of a Maiden of Prague

by Trollope, Anthony

First edition

Price: $8,500.00
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Book desription: Edinburgh and London: William Blackwood and Sons, 1867. First edition. Near Fine. THIS BOOK IS ELIGIBLE FOR A DISCOUNT OF UP TO 20% OFF THE PRICE SHOWN IN THIS LISTING FOR ORDERS PLACED ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 31, 2009. (Not available in combination with any other discounts.) A Near Fine copy of the First Edition, in two volumes, of Nina Balatka, The Story of a Maiden of Prague, one of the scarcest titles in the Trollope cannon and increasingly difficult to find in the true First Edition. This copy is in two volumes which have been rebound in 3/4 calf with marbled boards. Nina Balatka and its companion book, Linda Tressel, were published without any designation of the author as part of an experiment by Trollope to determine whether the public were buying his books because of the author's fame, or because of the quality of the writing. As the Publisher likely anticipated (Sadlier postulates that only about 150 to 200 copies were bound up as two volumes), the first edition did not sell well, and the Publisher put Trollope's name on the new title page for the one-volume remainder issue issue (also a scarce book in its own right). The experiment, however, had a major flaw. Trollope did his best work when focused on England, especially when focused on the English Gentry, and when writing longer works painted on a broad landscape. Nina Balatka, a relatively short novel for Trollope, was set in Prague and dealt with persons far less than prosperous. Perhaps in consequence, the story lacks the flavor of Trollope's other works. The third volume in the planned series, The Golden Lion of Granpere, was published under Trollope's name (the publisher not wanting to put out yet a third book by Trollope that was virtually certain to fail). It, too, being set outside of England, failed to sell well (although the writing, we believe, is much better than that found in either of the other two books in the series). This, the true First Edition, of Nina Balatka is a truly scarce book which is becoming increasingly difficult to find. A rare opportunity for the Trollope collector.

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