The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby. by DICKENS, Charles - 1838-39

London: Chapman and Hall, 1838-39. In the original parts First edition, in the original monthly parts, as published from March 1838 to October 1839; a particularly nice set.
Nicholas Nickleby followed the phenomenal success which Dickens reached with the Pickwick Papers. To secure Nickleby Chapman and Hall offered Dickens £150 a part, a sum ten times greater than that which he had received for Pickwick. As with its predecessor, the novel met with great public enthusiasm, which has continued unabated: Dickens's biographer Peter Ackroyd stated that the novel "has some title to being the funniest novel Dickens ever wrote; it is perhaps the funniest novel in the English language" (Ackroyd, Dickens, pp. 262).
Points: plates in parts 1-2 with publisher's imprint (first states); part 4 with misprint "visiter" for "sister" on p. 123 and part 5 with misprint "latter" for "letter" on p. 160 - the only distinguishing features of the text to distinguish earlier from later issues (Hatton & Cleaver, p. 131); without Mechi's catalogue in part 8; Steel Pens advertisement on blue paper in part 10; without the small yellowslip sometimes pasted within the front wrapper of pt. 11 (not essential to collation); part 14 with notice of postponement of the plates as called for; plate 29 in part 15 in third state; with the advertisement for "Hill's Seal Wafers" in pt. 19/20 but without the five specimen coloured wafers attached (as more often than not). All other advertisements and slips as called for by Hatton & Cleaver present; the haphazard methods of inserting advertisements ensures that there is considerable variation between parts and between sets, with priority generally only speculative.
Provenance: 19th century signature of B. Amoy on part 8; early 20th-century booklabel of T. James of Southampton on front wrapper of part 16; Marquess of Queensberry armorial green morocco bookplate to inner box lid; Neville L. Fakes (sold Sotheby's London, 11 July 2002, lot 200); old pencilled price of £400 to inner box lid. 20 parts in 19, as issued, octavo. Original pale blue pictorial wrappers. Housed in early to mid-20th century custom green quarter morocco solander box by Sangorski & Sutcliffe. Engraved portrait after D. Maclise, 39 etched plates by and after Hablot K. Browne. Two plates in pt. 17 repaired at corners, front wrappers of parts 1-2 with short edge tears, light browning to front wrapper of part 1, very minor repairs to a few small tears to wrappers. An excellent set, in much sharper condition than generally found, with little wear and clean contents. Eckel pp. 64-66; Hatton and Cleaver pp. 131-160; Gimbel A40.