A Tale of Two Cities. by DICKENS, Charles - 1859

London: Chapman and Hall, 1859. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times First edition, bound from the original monthly parts, of Dickens's great historical romance, set during the French Revolution, and remaining 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 1859 to November 1859, and serialized in the weekly journal All the Year Round in the same period, before publication in the present book form in November that year. This copy has the traditionally preferred points, with the earlier states of p. 213 misnumbered p. 113, and "b" on the list of plates. Octavo (212 x 132 mm). Recent green half calf, red morocco label, marbled sides, brown endpapers, marbled edges. Engraved frontispiece, vignette title and 14 plates by H. K. Browne (Phiz). Binding fine, short closed tear in gutter of vignette title, early leaves guarded, foxing to contents, plates washed. A very good copy. Eckel, pp. 86-90; Gimbel A142; Hatton & Cleaver p. 331; Kremers, pp. 108-112, Sadleir 701; Smith 13.