The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby – Charles Dickens – 1839 | 1st Edition, First Printing

The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens is presented here in its first edition, first printing, issued in 1839 by Chapman and Hall in London. This work was Dickens’ third novel, written concurrently with Oliver Twist, and boldly critiqued the cruelty and greed of Victorian-era institutions, particularly boarding schools and exploitative labor practices. The narrative follows Nicholas, his sister, and his mother, penniless after the death of his father, as they both rely on and are manipulated by his scheming uncle, Ralph Nickleby. From the brutal Yorkshire boarding school Dotheboys Hall to the environs of London, Nicholas finds companionship and aid from numerous fronts, including the orphaned Smike and a traveling theatre troupe, who restore his belief in the goodness of humanity. Nicholas Nickleby is recognized as Dickens’ most theatrical novel, which is mirrored in the 39 engraved illustrations by Phiz. This edition includes all recognized first-issue textual points.

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby
• Author: Charles Dickens
• Illustrator: Phiz (Hablot Knight Browne)
• Publisher: London, Chapman and Hall
• Edition: First edition, first printing 1839
  • P. 18, plate with “London, Chapman & Hall, 186, Strand” imprint
  • P. 123, line 17, “visiter”
  • P. 160, 6 lines up, “latter”
  • P. 245, line 10, “flys”
  • P. 272, line 2, “visiters”
  • P. 297, line 22, “incontestible”
  • P. 586, line 24, “suprise”
• Binding: Half leather over marbled boards
• Format: Octavo (8vo), single volume
• Size: ~ 8.5 in x 5.5 in (21.5 cm x 14 cm)
• Collation: xvi, 624
• Illustrations: 39 engraved plates plus portrait frontispiece from painting by Maclise
• Contents Include:
  • Full novel text
• Reference(s): Ackroyd 283; Eckel 64–66; Gimbel A40; Podeschi A41; Sadleir 695; Smith 5 p.40

Condition:

Very Good. The binding shows mild to moderate wear to the edges and boards, but the hinges are secure and the text block is tight. Moderate foxing throughout, most notably on the engraved plates.

Why Collect This?

• Contains all first issue textual points as recognized by key bibliographers
• Illustrated with 39 engravings by Phiz
• Significant critique of 19th-century educational and social institutions

Item Number: # 31192