The Battle of Life. A Love Story.

DICKENS, Charles (1812-1870).

London: Bradbury and Evans, 1846. [Christmas story] FIRST EDITION, second state engraved title-page. Scarce. Octavo (17 x 11cm), pp.[8] 175 [3]. With thirteen engraved illustrations by various artists, including a frontispiece and vignette title-page by Daniel Maclise. Publisher's red ribbed cloth, border ornamentation blocked in blind to boards. Pictorial designs and titles in gilt to upper and spine. All edges gilt. Yellow coated endpapers. Publisher's advertisements to rear. Lightly toned throughout; basically clean but for a small adhesive stain to pp.175 and some faint spotting to rear flyleaf recto. A couple light pencil notes to front endpaper. Toning to cloth, two very small black ink flecks to upper and one to lower. Effectively re-spined. Gentle edgewear. A bright, crisp copy. Very good. The fourth of Dickens' Christmas novellas, published first as books rather than in serial. The story is the only one in the series that doesn't involve the supernatural. Instead, it bears resemblance to an Austenesque romance. This copy possesses the rare second state engraved title-page, differentiated from the three other designs by the position and lettering of the 'A Love Story' at the bottom. Item #70333

Price: £1,450.00