Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy’s Progress.

DICKENS, Charles.

Item Number: 107264

London: Richard Bentley, 1838.

First edition, first issue of Dickens’ classic work. Octavo, three volumes, original reddish brown cloth, gilt titles to the spine, front and rear panels with arabesque stamp, with 24 plates by George Cruikshank. In near fine condition. Housed in individual chemise case within a full morocco slipcase. An exceptional example.

"Dickens turned in Oliver Twist to the novel of crime and terror Some characters are drawn with humorous realism, but for the most part humor is dimmed by gloomy memories of the author’s own neglected childhood and sensational scenes are shrouded in an atmosphere genuinely eerie and sinister That Dickens shared with his contemporaries the conviction that the novel should be an instrument of social reform is evident in Oliver Twist" (Baugh).