Dumas | The Prisoner of If, London, [1846], green calf-backed cloth

Alexandre Dumas

The prisoner of If: or, the revenge of Monte-Christo. London: George Peirce, [1846]

8vo (180 x 119mm.), lithographed frontispiece and title-page, illustrations by H. Carter, final advertisement leaf, later green calf-backed boards with black-tooled border, spine gilt in compartments with morocco lettering-piece, occasional light foxing, binding very slightly rubbed, head of upper cover slightly faded

An abridged translation, by William Francis Ainsworth, of The Count of Monte Cristo; see lot 219 for a fuller English version. It originally appeared in Ainsworth's Magazine (edited by his cousin, William Harrison Ainsworth) between December 1845 and May 1846; this book edition was originally priced at 3 shillings in a gilt cloth binding.

RARE: Copac records just one copy of this book edition, in the British Library (without the final advertisement leaf), and another is listed in Worldcat, at the University of Virginia.

LITERATURE

Munro p. 94