The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens, with illustrations by Phiz [Hablot Knight Browne]. Published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1839.
FIRST EDITION FIRST IMPRESSION
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Dickens' biographer, Peter Ackroyd says in his work that Nicholas Nickleby "has some title to being the funniest novel Dickens ever wrote; it is perhaps the funniest novel in the English language" (pp.262)
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Provenance:
Bookplate and ink signature of J. Asheton Critchley.
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Edition points: (all present)
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pp.18 plate with "London, Chapman & Hall, 186, Strand." imprint at the foot. (present).
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"latter" for "letter" error pp.160 line 43 (present).
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"flys" for "flies" error pp.245 line 10 (present).
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"visiters" for "visitors" error pp.272 line 2 (present).
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"incontestible" for "incontestable" error pp.297 line 22 (present).
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"suprise" for "surprise" error pp.586 line 24 (present).
Other Edition Points (Smith I, 5):
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second "l" missing in "will" on pp.x, entry 2.
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comma after "London" in text pm pp.xii, Chapter XXV.
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spacing in "Dis tresses" on pp.xii, Chapter XXVIII.
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last four letters not aligned in "family" on pp.xiii, Chapter XXXV. (present).
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frontispiece not listed on pp.xv (present).
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"at the Saracen's head" in quotes in caption on pp.xv, entry 2.
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"s" slightly high in "friends"' on pp.xv, entry 11. (present).
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"gentlemen" for "gentleman" on pp.xv, entry 13.
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"in" is missing in the caption of the third Phiz plate on pp.xv, entry 16.
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"Coffee-Room" hyphenated here but not in caption on pp.xv, entry 20. (present).
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"Linkinwater" is here "Mr. Linkinwater" in caption on pp.xvi, entry 1. (present).
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comma after "recognition" appears to be semicolon in caption on pp.xvi, entry 2.
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words of "the lodgings of" in caption but not here (in most copies) on pp.xvi, entry 7. (present).
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"small-clothes" not hyphenated in caption on pp.xvi, entry 9. (present).
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"Mulberry" spelled with single "r" in caption on pp.xvi, entry 10. (present).
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hyphen and apostrophe in "hair-dresser's" here, is missing in caption, on pp.xvi, entry 11. (present).
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"breaking up" is placed in quotation marks in caption, but not here, pp.xvi, entry 15. (present).
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unnecessary comma after "what" on pp.13, 10 lines up. (present).
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double quotes around this "Never", single and double quotes on pp.29, line 22 up. (present).
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"re" in "here" not fully printed on pp.41, 7 lines up.
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"visiter" for "sister" in some copies bound from early parts on pp.123, line 17. (present).
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no hyphen in "up-stairs" on pp.129, line 1. (present).
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close spacing in line on pp.165, line 26. (present).
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slightly raised "s" in "its" on pp.165, line 10.
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"yesterday" with 's on pp.198, 13 lines up. (present).
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"incsribed" for "inscribed" on pp.238, 8 lines up. (present).
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"Mercie" on pp.270, line 15. (present).
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unnecessary hyphen "twenty-years" on pp.273, line 1. (present).
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no period after "Ralph" on pp.288, line 7. (present).
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unnecessary period after "again" on pp.317, line 21. (present).
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capital "T" in "Think" on pp.319, line 16. (present).
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"conducter" for "conductor" on pp.342, line 16. (present).
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first three letters in "then" slightly high on pp.467, line 1.
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capital "H" in "How" on pp.512, line 3. (present).
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"Grogswig" for "Grogzwig" on pp.618, lines 23-24. (present).
Size: 146 x 218 mm (approx.)
Condition:
[frontis, t.p., v-xvi, 624pp.]
Half brown calf over marbled paper backed boards, with a black tooled label between raised bands. Binding rubbed and scuffed. Both boards attached with joints and hinges starting, previously repaired, thus fragile. Shelf and edge wear. Marbled page edges dulled. Bookplate attached to front pastedown. Text block Very clean with light toning and occasional foxing. Plates oxidised. Ink ownership inscription to the head of the title page. Edge tears with small loss of marginalia to pp.315-318.
Bound without half title, all Phiz plates present.
[Smith I., 5]
