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.
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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:
Ownership inscription dated Xmas 1884.
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Bound by or for Sotheran, Sackville St. London.
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First Edition points: (all present)
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pp.18 plate with "London, Chapman & Hall, 186, Strand." imprint at the foot.
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"latter" for "letter" error pp.160 line 43
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"flys" for "flies" error pp.245 line 10
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"visiters" for "visitors" error pp.272 line 2
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"incontestible" for "incontestable" error pp.297 line 22
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"suprise" for "surprise" error pp.586 line 24
Other Edition Points (Smith I, 5):
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second "l" missing in "will" on pp.x, line 2. (Present)
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comma after "London" in text on 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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comma after "others" here; semicolon in text on pp.xiv, Chapter LXIII. (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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"Kenwigs" is here in caption "Kenwig's" on pp.xv, last entry. (Present)
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"Linkinwater" is here "Mr. Linkinwater" in caption on pp.xvi, entry 1.
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comma after "recognition" appears to be semicolon in caption on pp.xvi, entry 2. (Present)
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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, and missing in caption on pp.xvi, entry 11. (Present)
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"breaking up" is placed in quotation marks in caption, pp.xvi, entry 15. (Present)
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unnecessary commas after "what" on pp.13, 10 lines up. (Present)
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double quotes around this "Never", single and double quotes two lines above, on pp.29, line 30. (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.
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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 "it's" 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.
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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: 142 x 219 mm (approx.)
Condition:
[(2), frontis, t.p., 1ff., vii-xvi, 624pp., (2)].
Half red calf over paper backed boards with gilt title and author in compartments to the spine between raised bands lined in gilt. Binding rubbed and scuffed. Both boards attached with rubbing along joints and minor wear to hinges. Shelf and edge wear. Marbled page edges dulled. Text block very clean with light edge toning and occasional foxing and marks. Plates oxidised. Top corner of the title page cut out, not affecting any of the text. Ink ownership inscription to dedication. Small tear to the bottom of pp.239/240, not affecting any text. Text block cracked between the last plate and the rear blanks. Bound without half title. 39 plates by Phiz (40 including engraved frontis). First two in-text plates are dampstained. One plate bound a page later than called for in the list of plates.
[Smith I. 5].
