Shirley – Charlotte Brontë
1893 Volume 1 of 2

For sale: a rare and exceptional first edition, first printing hardcover copy of Shirley by Charlotte Brontë, with no dust jacket. First Edition unstated and undated, 1893 J. M. Dent. Volume three in the 12-volume The Works of Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë. Presumed first printing with no subsequent printing. 366 pages. Illustrated with three engravings.

The exterior of the book is in Very Good condition with lightly faded, cloth boards with some sheen still present, and faded title gilt on a sunned spine and stronger on the front cover design.  The book also features a faded top gilt and clean, but toned side and bottom page blocks. Also present is a strong binding, mild spine tilt, and strong hinges. Also with, rolled and rubbed spine ends, moderate edge wear, and rounded and rubbed corners. The interior of book is in Very Good condition with stains on both end papers from newsprint inserts. The paste downs and the interior pages are are moderately toned, with some age spots.

No dust jacket.

Charlotte Brontë‘s 1849 classic novel, Shirley, is her follow-up novel to Jane Eyre. The novel itself is set in depression-wracked Yorkshire during the Luddite uprisings of 1811-1812 and follows the complicated relationship between two friends — Caroline, a poor and shy young woman with poor prospects, and Shirley, an independent heiress who defies society’s expectations — and their romantic adventures and rivalries amid a world of significant economic and social upheaval.