A Tale of Two Cities.

London: Chapman and Hall,, 1859. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times First edition in book form, attractively bound. Dickens's great historical romance, set during the French Revolution, remains one of his best known and most widely read works. "In its tightly organized and highly romantic melodrama and the near-absence of typical 'Dickensian' humour and humorous characters, A Tale of Two Cities certainly stands apart from all his other novels" (ODNB). The novel was also issued in monthly parts from April to November 1859 and serialized in Dickens's weekly journal All the Year Round in the same period, before publication in book form in November that year. Octavo (213 x 131 mm). Modern dark green morocco, spine with raised bands, gilt lettering in compartments, marbled endpapers and edges. Engraved frontispiece, vignette title and 14 plates by Hablot Knight Browne (Phiz). This copy with the earlier states of p. 213 misnumbered "113" and the signature "b" on the list of plates, not indicative of priority of issue (Kremers, p. 112). Contemporary ownership inscription of one H. Snowden to head of p. 1. Intermittent and mainly marginal foxing to contents, sporadic marks, small tape repair to lower margin of one leaf, otherwise internally clean. A very good copy. Eckel, pp. 86-90; Gimbel A142; Hatton & Cleaver p. 331; Kremers, pp. 108-112; Smith 13.