Great Expectations

London: Chapman and Hall, 1861. First Edition, Fifth Issue. 3 vol. Early 20th-century olive full leather with leather labels, gilt edges and tooling to border and turn-ins with cherubic cloth endpapers. Spines lightly sunned with minor rubbing to hinges and chipping to label of vol. 3. Text-block has been trimmed down slightly as part of the binding process but very clean examples overall with faint occasional spotting internally. Very Good. While stating 'Fifth Edition' to the title page this is in reality a fifth impression. It is likely that all the first five 'editions' are one printing with different title pages issued to give the perception of larger sales as each contains virtually all first issue points. Dickens' mature novel of unrequited love and blinding greed is now regarded by many as his finest work and, as a result of many of the first issues being turned over to lending libraries, it remains among his rarest in trade. (Smith 101)