Rare books from MAPLE RIDGE BOOKS

London: Chapman & Hall, 1880. 1st Edition . Hardcover. Near Fine/No Jacket, As Issued. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall. pp: [i-vii]viii-ix [2][1]2-463; [ii] [1-3]4-464. FIRST EDITION. Two volumes, both first editions, rebound in attractive half brown leather over marbled boards, raised bands to spine with gilt decoration and lettering. New endpapers. Volume I contains a three-page preface (1879) by Dickens' two daughters, who edited the letters. Errata page bound in. Overall, a very good, to near fine, set. A collection of letters written by Dickens.

London: John Macrone, 1836. Second Edition . Hardcover. Good/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall. pp: vi [1]2-305; [iv][1]2-302; [i-iii]iv-viii [1-3]4-375. THE SECOND SERIES. Three volumes uniformly bound in half black leather over marbled boards, raised bands with gilt trim to spine, marbled endpapers, and pictorial title page. The twenty-seven plates include two not found in the first edition. These volumes each lack the half-title page. Dickens' first book had an immediate impact. His writing "...broke new ground...written in a new style...seemed to bring a refreshing breath of reality into the literary atmosphere..." (Gissing, 'The Immortal Dickens', 1924). True first editions of this book are extremely scarce. Eckel comments on this and points out that "...so rare are first-class copies of the early issue of the original edition that a record price...was established for a set in parts...in 1908". (Eckel 'The First Editions of the Writings of Charles Dickens' 1913). The second… Read More

London: Chapman & Hall, 1843. Third Edition . Hardcover. Very Good/No Jacket, As Issued. pp: [viii][1]2-166 [2]. THE THIRD EDITION bound in deep red full calf, ruled in gilt, raised bands to spine with two title pieces, one in blue and one in green, both with gilt lettering. All edge gilt with top edge rough cut, and other edges trimmed. Both paste downs are trimmed with half-inch decorative calf and remainder and end paper are in decorative red paper. The original covers are bound in at the end of the text. The book is held in a brown cloth covered clam shell case with a title piece laid down. A nearly flawless copy. When the novella was published it struck a chord with Victorian readers. Some old Christmas traditions were being revived and new ones (the Christmas tee and Christmas cards) were being introduced. Dickens completed the book in six weeks. And it was released on 17 December, 1943. It was a great success and went into multiple printings with a few months. By May, 1844 the… Read More

London: Richard Bentley, New Burlington Street, 1838. 1st Edition . Hardcover. Near Fine/No Jacket, As Issued. George Cruikshank. pp: [iv][1]2-331 [3]; [iv][1]2-307; [iv][1]2-315. THE FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE. Three mismatched bindings. Volumes I and II are bound in dark green leather over marbled boards with raised bands, gilt lettering and decoration to the spine. Volume III is bound in full blue leather with elaborate gilt decoration to the top board, gilt trim, red and gold title piece. 'Twist' first appeared in serial form in Bentley's Miscellany beginning February, 1837. The final issue was in March, 1839. There was no installment in June, 1837 due to the death of Mary Hogarth. The three volume set was published in September, 1838, six months before the final monthly part. There were reportedly only 528 copies printed. George Cruikshank illustrated the monthly parts and these illustrations were used for the triple decker. The final 'fireside' plate in Volume III was considered to… Read More

London: John Macrone, 1837. 1st Edition . Hardcover. Near Fine/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall. pp: iii[1]2-377 [29]. FIRST EDITION OF THE SECOND SERIES complete in one volume. Bound in half red morocco by Riviere. Banded gilt decorated spine, uncut edges. Original cloth covers bound in along with original endpapers and remains of the spine. 29pp. of adverts bound at the end. There is slight foxing. The style of this book "...broke new ground...written in a new style...seemed to bring a refreshing breath of reality into the literary atmosphere..." (Gissing, 'The Immortal Dickens', 1924).

London: Bradbury & Evans, 1855. Hardcover. Near Fine/No Jacket, As Issued. FIVE VOLUMES, of which four are FIRST EDITIONS. The five famous Christmas stories uniformly bound in full red leather trimmed in gilt, raised bands trimmed and decorated in gilt. All edges trimmed in gilt. 'Carol' is the thirteenth edition. The four additional stories are all First Editions. The Chimes, published in 1845 by Chapman & Hall; The Battle of Life, published by Bradbury & Evans in 1846; The Cricket on The Hearth, published by Bradbury & Evans in 1846; and The Haunted Man, published by Bradbury & Evans in 1848. A copies are near fine with publishing dates at the base of the spine. Five of Dickens' Christmas stories, all but one (Carol) a first edition.

London: Chapman & Hall, 1859. 1st Edition . Hardcover. Very Good/No Jacket, As Issued. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall. H.K. Browne. pp: [vii]viii 6-254. FIRST EDITION, SECOND ISSUE. Rebacked in full brown calf with gil trim, raised bands, title in gilt. Top edge gilt, and all edges trimmed. Blue paste down and endpapers, frontispiece with tissue guard. Preface dated November, 1859. Page 213 is corrected. Includes all plates by Browne called for. Overall, a very good copy with some rubbing along the edge of the boards. The text block has no foxing. A tale of the French Revolution and a man' redemption.

London: Bradbury & Evans, 1853. 1st Edition . Hardcover. Very Good/No Jacket, As Issued. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall. pp: [vi]vii-xvi [1]2-624. FIRST EDITION. Bound in light brown half leather over marbled boards, all edges trimmed. The novel was first published as a serial between March 1852 and September 1853. The first edition after the serial. Dickens uses this novel to satirize the British judicial system. Though the legal profession criticized Dickens' satire as exaggerated, this novel helped support a judicial reform movement, which culminated in the enactment of legal reform in the 1870s. This is a very good, or better, copy of the first edition. Dickens' novel of the British judicial system. Considered by many to be his best work.

London: Bradbury & Evans, 1848. 1st Edition . Hardcover. Near Fine/No Jacket, As Issued. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall. pp: [xi]xii-xvi [2][1]2-320; [ii]321-624. Bound in blue half leather over marbled boards, raised bands and gilt lettering on spine, all edges trimmed. Bound from the original parts with the covers bound in. In addition, there are twelve extra plates bound in at the end of volume II. The last line of page 324 has the word 'Capatin' incorrectly spelled, page 426, line 9 omits the first word 'if', and page 431 is numbered correctly. The novel was issued in parts from July, 1846 to April, 1848. And it was published in book form in the same month.

London: Chapman & Hall, 1859. 1st Edition . Hardcover. Near Fine/No Jacket, As Issued. pp: [vii] viii-x [1]2-254. FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE. Bound in full red calf with gilt trim, raised bands trimmed in gilt, title stamped in gilt. All edges trimmed in gilt. Held in matching red slipcase. The love theme triangle in the novel was likely inspired by a similar situation in 'The Frozen Deep', a play in which Dickens acted. Frontispiece and fourteen plates. Page 213 mis numbered as '113'. Gimbel A143. The 45-chapter novel was published in 31 weekly installments in Dickens' new literary periodical titled All the Year Round. From April 1859 to November 1859, Dickens also republished the chapters as eight monthly sections in green covers.The first weekly installment of A Tale of Two Cities ran in the first issue of All the Year Round on 30 April 1859. The last ran thirty weeks later, on 26 November. This was the last of Dickens' novels to be illustrated by Browne.

London: Bradbury & Evans, 1852. 1st Edition . Hardcover. Very Good/No Jacket, As Issued. 16mo - over 5¾ - 6¾" tall. pp: [ix]x-xii[1]2-210 [1]; [vii]viii [1]2-214 [1]; [v]vi-vii[1]2-321 [1]. FIRST EDITION. THREE volumes uniformly bound in red half leather over marbled boards, raised bands and gilt lettering to spine. Marbled endpapers, frontispiece illustrations by F.W. Topham. The first appearance of this book was in 'Household Words' from December, 1852. A very good set with darkening to the spines of all three volumes. The original ribbon markers are present but none are still attached. A history of England written by Dickens for his children.

London: Charles Dickens & Bradbury & Evans, 1854. 1st Edition . Hardcover. Very Good/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall. pp: i-iv [1]22-616. VOLUME IX. Bound in dark green half-leather over green marbled boards, raised bands with gilt trim, title/volume/date in gilt. This volume includes the first appearance of the major novel 'HARD TIMES in all twenty parts. This copy is very good or better with light rubbing and soiling to the boards and page edges. This volume contains the novel in 20 parts. A very good or better copy.

Norwalk, CT: The Easton Press, 1985. 1st Edition Thus . Hardcover. Near Fine/No Jacket, As Issued. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall. pp: xvi [1-2]3-798. Full burgundy leather covered boards, gilt decoration and gilt edges, raised bands, satin endpapers and ribbon marker. Illustrations by Henry C. Pitz. A fine copy. The novel was originally published in monthly parts from 1 October 1846 to 1 April 1848 and in one volume in 1848. Dickens started writing the book in Lausanne, Switzerland, before returning to England, via Paris, to complete it. The original illustrations were provided by Hablot Knight Browne ('Phiz').

London: Chapman & Hall, 1852. First Edition Thus . Hardcover. Near Fine/No Jacket, As Issued. pp: [iv][1-3]4-266 [1]. The First Collected Edition of the Christmas Books. Bound in full deep red leather decorated with Dickens' book plate, and trimmed in gilt. Raised bands and gilt trim to spine. All edges rough cut.

London: Bradbury & Evans, 1846. Revised Edition . Hardcover. Near Fine/No Jacket, As Issued. pp: [v]vi-xii [1]2-311. A New Edition, Revised and Corrected with Twenty-Four Illustrations on Steel, By George Cruikshank. Full red Bayntun Riviere leather trimmed in gilt with Dickens cameo, raised bands and gilt decoration to spine, and facsimile of author's signature stamped in gilt on the back board. Decorated endpapers, and twenty-four steel engravings by Cruikshank. Contains the author's preface to The Third Edition, dated April, 1841. Laid in is a single typed page with the Eckels collation. Coming-of-age, poverty, prison, criminals, violence. One of Dickens' best novels.