London: Chapman and Hall, 1839. First edition. A rare copy of Nickleby in the original publisher's cloth. This copy without some of the earliest issue points: pg. 123 and pg. 160 with corrected spellings, first four plates without Chapman and Hall imprints. A Very Good copy with wear to the cloth along the lower spine hinge and at the board edges. Original yellow end-papers with some splitting at the inner hinges. Moderate foxing to the plates, pages generally clean. But on the whole, and authentic and attractive copy of the first edition in book form.

"Dickens' third novel has always been a favourite with the general public. Indeed, it was the book's huge sales that enabled Dickens to give up parliamentary reporting and become a full-time writer...The theatricality of the novel attracted new and more appreciative critical attention [and it] demonstrates the inextricable link between public and private" (Bannerjee). A satire tackling the injustices faced by both women and men within the Victorian class system that relied so heavily the social status of the patriarch, the novel follows Nicholas Nickleby as he seeks to support his mother and sister after his father's death. When Nicholas' father dies after losing all of the family's money, it is up to the young man to emerge as the new and more morally sound patriarch. Dashing and likable, Nicholas ultimately prevails, dodging shady characters along the way and securing a respectable life in Devonshire for his extended family. A favorite among Dickens' works, Nicholas Nickleby has been adapted into a much-loved film. Very Good (Item #2491)