Hand of Ethelberta by HARDY, Thomas - 1888

Presentation Copy, Inscribed by Thomas Hardy HARDY, Thomas. The Hand of Ethelberta. A Comedy in Chapters. New and Cheaper Edition. London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington, 1888. Presentation copy, inscribed by Thomas Hardy. Later edition, "New and Cheaper Edition." Octavo (7 x 4 1/2 inches; 176 x 115 mm). iv, 412 pp. Inscribed by Hardy on the top margin of the title-page "Yours faithfully. Thomas Hardy" Original red cloth. Front board and spine blocked in black floral pattern. Spine lettered in gilt. Endpapers are blue advertisement. Blue advertisements for endpapers. Top edge dyed brown. Spine a bit sunned. A bit of wear to head and tail of spine. Previous owner Arthur W. Hall's bookplate on front pastedown. Housed in a full morocco gilt pull-top slipcase, with binder stamp of Arthur W. Hall. Overall a very good copy. This novel, which Hardy himself referred to as a ìsomewhat frivolous narrative,î was published April 3, 1876 in an edition of 1,000 copies. Purdy,. Sadleir 1107. Wolff. HBS 67271. $1,850