TALE OF TWO CITIES by Dickens Charles - 1860

London: Chapman and Hall, 1860. First edition, RARE issue with 1860 title and 213 numbered correctly. With 16 illustrations by H. K. Browne, including a frontispiece and vignette title page. 8vo, publisher’s original green cloth. viii, 254 A very nice copy, very well preserved and with only light wear. VERY RARE AND ONE OF THE MOST ELUSIVE STATES OF THE FIRST EDITION. A handsome first edition in original cloth of Dickens’ great work about the terrors and turmoil of the French revolution. According to Jarndyce the 3rd issue has the date of 1860 on the title-page instead of 1859 and page 213 is numbered correctly. The green cloth binding is identical to the cloth of the 1859 issues.
TALE OF TWO CITIES ranks amongst the most famous works in the history of literary fiction. It is one of only two works of historical fiction by Charles Dickens and stands out from most of Dickens's other novels as the one containing the least humour. That is not surprising, as the historical context of the novel, the French Revolution and Reign of Terror, were a bit bleak to allow for the wackier characters Dickens is known for. This fact has in no way impacted the novel’s popularity, it has never been out of print and by the start of the 21th century had sold an estimated 200 million copies worldwide.