PLAIN OR RINGLETS? [Original Parts]

Surtees Robert S

Published by London Bradbury and Evans 1859-1860

About this Item

13 parts bound into 12 as issued. First Edition. Engraved and coloured title-page and 12 hand-colored plates by John Leech, with wood engravings throughout the text. 8vo, publisher's original brick-red printed pictorial wrappers, all housed in a fine red morocco solander case and chemise. 406 pp. A fine set, some occasional wear to the wrappers at the extremities, all plates and text-blocks very well preserved, original tissue guards present, exceedingly scarce in this condition. FIRST EDITION IN ITS ORIGINAL FORMAT, VERY SCARCE THUS. An excellent copy of this classic of Victorian literature and sporting. Robert Surtees was one of the most prominent of the Victorian writers and is especially remembered for his invented character of Jorrocks, a vulgar but good-natured sporting cockney grocer. Surtees had left for London in 1825, intending to practice law in the capital, but had difficulty making his way and began contributing to the Sporting Magazine. He launched out on his own with the New Sporting Magazine in 1831, contributing the comic papers which appeared as Jorrocks' Jaunts and Jollities in 1838. Jorrocks, the sporting cockney grocer, with his vulgarity and good-natured artfulness, was a great success with the public. Surtees used North East place-names like Sheepwash, Howell (How) Burn, and Winford Rig. His memorable Geordie James Pigg, in Handley Cross, is based on Joe Kirk, a Slaley huntsman. The famous incident, illustrated by Leech, when Pigg jumps into the melon frame was inspired by a similar episode involving Kirk in Corbridge. As a creator of comic personalities, Surtees is still readable today. Thackeray envied him his powers of observation, while William Morris considered him "a master of life" and ranked him with Dickens. The novels are engaging and vigorous, and abound with sharp social observation, with a keener eye than Dickens for the natural world. Perhaps Surtees most resembles the Dickens of Pickwick Papers, which was originally intended as mere supporting matter for a series of sporting illustrations to rival Jorrocks. Most of Surtees's later novels, were illustrated by John Leech. They included Mr Sponge's Sporting Tour (1853); Ask Mamma (1858); Plain or Ringlets? (1860) and Mr Facey Romford's Hounds (1865).

Seller Inventory # 32529

Bibliographic Details

• Title: PLAIN OR RINGLETS? [Original Parts]
• Publisher: London Bradbury and Evans 1859-1860
• Binding: Soft cover
• Edition: 1st Edition