The Decoding of Edwin Drood

London: Victor Gollancz, 1980 . First edition. Cloth. Fine/Fine. 8.5" by 5.5". None. The first edition of this fascinating work of literary detection, part critical study of Dickens' final novel, and part fiction. The first edition, first impression of this curious work of fiction and literary criticism from Charles Forsyte, the pseudonym of a husband and wife writing team. In the exceptionally lovely publisher's original dust wrapper, price unclipped.In part one of this work, Forsyte details fascinating accounts of attempts that have been made to uncover the true ending of Charles Dickens' final unfinished novel, 'The Mystery of Edwin Drood', a mystery to which there is no generally accepted solution to this day.In the second half of the work, Forsyte provides his own continuation of the story, writing 'in the style of the Master, but from a twentieth century vantage point; the solution he develops is not only logically sound and eminently possible, but attractively embellished with its own inventive and sometimes comic twists and turns'.With an illustrated frontispiece displaying the front wrap of the original monthly parts. In the publisher's original cloth binding, with price unclipped dust wrapper. Externally, fine. Dust wrapper exceptionally bright. Internally, firmly bound. Pages bright and clean. Fine