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Ward Lock & Co, 1891 First Edition, First Printing, First State: A superb copy and the true very scarce first printing of this landmark horror novel. All first printing points present, including without Bowden's name added to the title page imprint, the Preface with Wilde's name at the end in larger, bolder type, and with "nd" for "and" beginning the eighth line from the bottom on page 208. This trade edition is the earliest printing of this title, and came out before the limited edition. The book has pale grey paper boards with a parchment backed spine, with both the front board titles, and the title imprint at the bottom of the spine in gilt. The end papers are replaced, and the book has benefited from being recased with the original cloth being laid back down, making the binding very tight and square and allowing the book to be quite readable and not fragile. The gilt imprint on the lower spine shows "The Picture of Dorian Gray / by / Oscar Wilde" however, the imprint sustained some loss with a portion of the lower spine imprint missing (the word "Gray", and the "ure" of the word 'Picture'" are missing. The fact that most all of the original spine is present at all is remarkable as between the extremely rarity of this title and the fragileness of parchment, the few that survived usually have no spine let at all. Rough cut pages as issued. The interior of the book is remarkably clean with but a few dots of foxing to the half title and title pages, and foxing to the outer page block. The pages have no other stains, no handling marks, no bent pages, and no other foxing. The end papers have a prior owner bookplate to the front. "The Picture of Dorian Gray" is a classic novel by Oscar Wilde, first published in 1890 in Lippincott's Monthly Magazine. This copy is the first issue in book form. It tells the story of a young, handsome man named Dorian Gray, who becomes the subject of a portrait painted by an artist named Basil Hallward. Dorian is introduced to the pleasures of life by his friend, Lord Henry Wotton, who encourages him to pursue beauty and pleasure above all else. Dorian becomes obsessed with his own youth and beauty, and he wishes that his portrait would age instead of him. His wish is granted, and he remains youthful while his portrait shows the physical and moral decay of his life. As Dorian becomes increasingly depraved, his portrait becomes more and more grotesque, reflecting the ugliness of his soul. "The Picture of Dorian Gray" is a haunting and thought-provoking novel that explores themes of beauty, morality, and the corrupting influence of society." The unforgettable dark and brooding chiller set in high-society late-Victorian London; a coded and epigrammatic melodrama inspired by his Wilde's own tortured homosexuality. A superb copy of this exceedingly scarce landmark Horror title. Please see images. ADDITIONAL IMAGES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. Please see our store for additional landmark Horror and SciFi titles. .
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