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Vicar of Wakefield
by GOLDSMITH Oliver
- Used
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
1766. First Edition . GOLDSMITH, Oliver. The Vicar of Wakefield. Salisbury: Printed by B. Collins for F. Newberry, 1766. Two volumes. 12mo, 19th-century full tan calf, raised bands, elaborately gilt-decorated spines, green morocco spine labels, marbled endpapers. $6200.First edition, first issue, of Goldsmith's best-known novel, beautifully bound by Bedford. The Vicar of Wakefield has long charmed readers ""in part due to the imaginative glow that Goldsmith so effortlessly casts over the action… and to his flexible and easy style"" (Baugh, et al., 1061). As celebrated as the novel itself is the account which grew up around it regarding Dr. Johnson's hand in seeing it published. ""Boswell tells the story that Johnson was one morning called in by Goldsmith, whose landlady had arrested him for his rent. Johnson found that Goldsmith had a novel ready for press, took it to a publisher, sold it for 60 pounds, and brought back the sum, which enabled Goldsmith to pay his rent and rate his landlady"" (DNB). First issue, with the misprint ""Waekefield"" in running headline in Volume II, page 95. Variant (2), with no catchword on page 213 of Volume I, pages 39 and 159 in Volume II correctly printed. Rothschild 1028. Text fine, only minor wear to handsome calf binding. A beautiful copy.
Synopsis
"The greatest object in the universe, says a certain philosopher, is a good man struggling with adversity." When Dr Primrose loses his fortune in a disastrous investment, his idyllic life in the country is shattered and he is forced to move with his wife and six children to an impoverished living on the estate of Squire Thornhill. Taking to the road in pursuit of his daughter, who has been seduced by the rakish Squire, the beleaguered Primrose becomes embroiled in a series of misadventures – encountering his long-lost son in a travelling theatre company and even spending time in a debtor’s prison. Yet Primrose, though hampered by his unworldliness and pride, is sustained by his unwavering religious faith. In The Vicar of Wakefield , Goldsmith gently mocks many of the literary conventions of his day – from pastoral and romance to the picaresque – infusing his story of a hapless clergyman with warm humour and amiable social satire. In his introduction, Stephen Coote discusses Goldsmith’s eventful life, the literary devices used in the novel, and its central themes of Christianity, justice and the family. This edition also includes a bibliography and notes.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Bauman Rare Books
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 116485
- Title
- Vicar of Wakefield
- Author
- GOLDSMITH Oliver
- Book Condition
- Used
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First Edition
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Date Published
- 1766
- Note
- May be a multi-volume set and require additional postage.
Terms of Sale
Bauman Rare Books
All items are subject to prior sale. All items are guaranteed as described. Refunds are limited to original purchase price. Items may be returned within 30 days of receipt if unsatisfactory for any reason (please notify us prior to returning, preferably by phone.)
About the Seller
Bauman Rare Books
Biblio member since 2009
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
About Bauman Rare Books
In business since 1973, Bauman Rare Books now has locations in New York, Philadelphia and Las Vegas.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Raised Band(s)
- Raised bands refer to the ridges that protrude slightly from the spine on leather bound books. The bands are created in the...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- 12mo
- A duodecimo is a book approximately 7 by 4.5 inches in size, or similar in size to a contemporary mass market paperback. Also...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Morocco
- Morocco is a style of leather book binding that is usually made with goatskin, as it is durable and easy to dye. (see also...
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- Calf
- Calf or calf hide is a common form of leather binding. Calf binding is naturally a light brown but there are ways to treat the...
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