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. Sketches by "Boz". Illustrative of Every-Day Life, and Every-Day People. London: John Macrone, 1836. Full Description: DICKENS, Charles. CRUIKSHANK, George, [illustrator]. Sketches by "Boz,". Illustrative of Every-Day Life, and Every-Day People. In Two Volumes. Volume I [II]. London: John Macrone, 1836. First edition, first printing (i.e., by Whiting). Two twelvemo volumes ( 7 15/16 x 4 7/8 inches; 201 x 125 mm). viii, 348; [iv], 342 pp. With the date on the preface reading 'February, 1836' and with almost every internal flaw called for by Smith in both volumes except five in volume I (1 is not spaced apart in 100; "o" is not missing in "thought" on 107; "S" not missing on page 143, only some copies; 'r' not missing on pg 258; and plate has imprint on pg 329) and two in volume II 9pg 287 with hyphen; page 305, spacing is okay in some copies only). No half-titles called for. Some internal pages bear no pagination as called for by Smith. Sixteen inserted engraved plates by George Cruikshank, eight in each volume. These two volumes have the frontispieces bound in at their respective chapters (Vol I is bound facing page 47 and Vol II is bound facing page 24). The first printing of the first edition carries the imprint of Whiting, whereas the second and third printings carry those of Hazard and Vizetelly, respectively. Original dark green leaf-patterned cloth. Spines lettered and stamped in gilt. Yellow coated endpapers. Some very minor shelfwear to head and tail of spines. Bindings slightly skewed. Pages lightly toned. A few pages roughly opened, but never affecting text. Housed together in a half green morocco clamshell. A near fine copy of this rare first edition of Dickens' first book. "Those to whom the Sketches revealed a new writer saw in them many merits which to us are obscured: they broke entirely new ground, were written in a new style, and despite their frouzy topics, seemed to bring a refreshing breath of reality into the literary atmosphere. Nowadays, the best parts of the book seem to be those which are purely descriptive. Remembering how rare a thing is the ability to depict, really to depict, in words and especially to make interesting a description of the everyday, the commonplace, we gladly recognize in Boz's handwork the first proofs of Dickens' extraordinary power" (Gissing, The Immortal Dickens). Cohn 232. Gimbel A1. Smith, Dickens, I, 1. HBS 68995. $12,500. Seller Inventory # 68995
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