The Personal History of David Copperfield.

DICKENS, Charles.

$4,000.00

Item Number: 148220

London: Bradbury and Evans, 1850.

First edition of “the most perfect of all the Dickens novels” (Virginia Woolf). Octavo, bound in full polished calf by Sangorski & Sutcliffe, gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, gilt turnins and inner dentelles, marbled endpapers, top edge gilt, tissue-guarded frontispiece, engraved vignette titles. Illustrated with 38 plates by Hablot Knight Browne. In near fine condition, bookplate to the front pastedown. Housed in a custom marbled slipcase. An exceptional example.

"Charles Dickens and Hablot Knight Browne are the most celebrated author-artist team in the history of English book illustration," and Copperfield was their "most popular success" (Hodnett, 111-12). Charles Dickens’ The Personal History of David Copperfield is a semi-autobiographical novel that explores themes of perseverance, self-discovery, and social mobility through the life of its protagonist, David Copperfield. Often considered one of Dickens’ most personal works, the novel reflects his own experiences with childhood hardship, labor, and the pursuit of literary success. Through a rich cast of characters, including the benevolent Betsey Trotwood, the villainous Uriah Heep, and the tragic yet endearing Mr. Micawber, Dickens examines issues of class, ambition, and personal integrity. The novel’s blend of realism and sentimentality, combined with its first-person narrative, allows for a deeply introspective and emotionally resonant exploration of personal growth. David Copperfield remains one of Dickens’ most celebrated works, praised for its vivid characterizations and its insightful portrayal of 19th-century English society.