PHINEAS FINN by Trollope, Anthony - 1868

1868. The Irish Member. A Novel. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1868. 2 pp preliminary ads plus 4 pp terminal ads, undated. Original black cloth lettered in gilt. First American Edition of one of Trollope's six "political novels" -- "it is in fact the first in which the affairs of the parliamentary world are of major interest" [Gerould]. Trollope's comment in his autobiography: It is all fairly good except the ending, -- as to which till I got to it I had made no provision. As I fully intended to bring my hero again into the world, I was wrong to marry him to a simple pretty Irish girl, who could only be felt as an encumbrance on such return. When he did return [in PHINEAS REDUX] I had no alternative but to kill the simple pretty Irish girl, which was an unpleasant and awkward necessity. This is often touted as the true first edition, since it is dated 1868 and the London two-decker (also illustrated by Millais) is dated 1869; however, according to Sadleir this American edition was not actually issued to the public until April 1869, a month after the London edition. (However, American copies dated 1868 have only 17 of the 20 illustrations, lacking the final three -- making it more likely that it was issued earlier than that.) This copy is in black cloth (one of several colors, without precedence), and is in very good-plus condition, with the spine gilt unusually bright; as usual with these tall slim Harper volumes, there is light wear at the spine ends. Sadleir (TROLLOPE) p. 91; not in Wolff.