Charles Dickens, First Printing, First Issue "A Tale of Two Cities"

Chapman and Hall, London,1859. First edition, first issue of one of Dickens' most enduring works, with p. 213 misnumbered "113," and the misspelling "affetcionately" on line 12, p. 134, however lacking the sheet with the list of the plates. Bound in stamped quarter leather with leather corner tips over marbled paper boards. Blocked title to spine, with raised bands. Marbled end papers with tape repair to an intact tear. The leather is now quite faded along the spine and the leather corners are quite rubbed with portions of the leather now gone. Neatly scripted owner name to the first blank page. Frontis with the original tissue guard which is age toned. Internally clean with scattered foxing, mostly to the first 30 pages of the book.

The most famous and possibly the most popular of Dickens's novels, A Tale of Two Cities shows a master of dramatic narrative extracting gold from the ore of history. If the bloody tableau of the French Revolution were not in itself sufficient for a dozen novels, Dickens added to it a professional resurrectionist, an authentic ogress, and an antihero as convincingly flawed as any in modern literature. "Dickens had always admired Carlyle's History of the French Revolution, and asked him to recommend suitable books from which he could research the period; in reply Carlyle sent him a 'cartload' of volumes. So great was [Dickens'] enthusiasm for the story that it had indeed 'taken in possession' of him. The force of the novel springs from its exploration of darkness and death but its beauty derives from Dickens' real sense of transcendence, from his ability to see the sweep of destiny" (Ackroyd, 858). The last of Dickens' books to be illustrated by H.K. Browne ("Phiz"),

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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