The Letters of Charles Dickens, The Pilgrim Edition - Volume four 1844-1846

Oxford: The Clarendon Press/ Oxford University Press, 1977. This volume presents 1,087 letters, 284 of them previously unpublished, for the years 1844 to 1846. For half of that time Dickens and his family are living abroad: at Genoa from July 844 toJune 1845, at Lausanne from June to November 1846, and finally in Paris. The year in Italy is interrupted by a midwinter visit to London to read his topical Christmas book, The Chimes, to groups of friends beforepublication. During the months abroad Dickens's letters, fewer in number, are longer and more leisurely, vividly recording impressions of places and people and the humours and hardships of travel. Back in England, he devotes much time and energy to amateur theatricals (Every Man in his Humour and The Elder Brother) and, less happily, to helping his new publishers, Bradbury and Evans, to establish the Daily News, which for a short time he edits. Among his contributions are travel sketches later included in Pictures from Italy, and a series of articles against capital punishment. In Switzerland, he writes The Battle of Life and the early numbers of Dombey and Son, charting their progress in letters to Forster; his 'long rest' since completing Chuzzletvit is fully justifled by the success of the new novel. The Appendixes to this volume include an unpublished inventory of the contents of Dickens's London house in 1844 and the books in his library. Hardcover, red buckram with gilt lettering on the spine within a pale blue panel, in red and pale yellow dustwrapper. xxiv, 771 pages,Frontispiece and one further illustration. 6.25 X 9.5 inches.Very good book in a very good dustwrapper.The dustwrapper is in a clear removable protective jacket.. First Edition. Hard Cover. Very Good/Very Good.