Jude the Obscure
( H. MACBETH-RAEBURN, illus. ) HARDY, Thomas
With an Etching by H. Macbeth-Raeburn and a Map of Wessex. [Vol. VIII of The Wessex Novels].
BRIGHT, CLEAN, CRISP COPY OF THE ORIGINAL EDITION
Published: [Osgood McIlvaine], [1896]
Stock code: 49451
Price: £420.00
8vo., First Edition, on laid paper, with etched frontispiece (original tissue guard present) and full-page map in the text; original dark green ribbed cloth, upper board with 'TH' monogram blocked in gilt, gilt back, gilt top, uncut, expertly recased, a very good, bright, clean , crisp copy.
Published as Vol. VIII in Osgood's 'Wessex Novels', the first uniform and complete edition of Hardy's works which had commenced publication the year before. 'The edition is an important one. The text of every novel was thoroughly and carefully revised, the topography (names and distances) corrected where necessary, chapters frequently retitled, and much rewriting done. In addition Hardy prepared a special preface for each volume' (Purdy p.281). Each of the sixteen volumes has an etched frontispiece by Macbeth-Raeburn depicting a scene from the novel drawn on the spot (in this case 'The Christminster of the Story') and a map of Wessex drawn by Hardy himself. In terms of book production, these are undoubtedly the finest trade editions of Hardy's works. See Purdy, pp.86-91, 281.