Sunday, December 11, 2022

The Complete Charles Dickens

 Just saw this on eBay:


Is that a beauty or what? Here's the description:

The complete works of Charles Dickens.
Complete in 34 volumes as stated on the title pages.
+ the miscellaneous in 2 volumes.
+ the life by Forster in 2 volumes.
Complete with all 38 volumes. Set is complete.
A massive set. Well over five feet of shelf space.
Andrew Lang edition.
With the original illustrations.
Printed in 1907.

Unfortunately, it's listed at $1,500...with an added $71.15 for shipping, which brings the whole deal to a not-to-be-sneezed-at $41.35 per volume. And if I had that money lying around or could easily retrieve it from between my sofa cushions, you can bet that I would put my order in immediately. (And if you'd like to do that, go HERE and throw down those hundred dollar bills.)


It would be nice to read books that didn't self-destruct as I turned the pages (as my Heron Centennial Edition Dickens books do), for sure. But as much as I love and long for this "Andrew Lang Edition," and as much as I am displeased with the quality of the Heron Centennial Edition, I have to say...I am really in it for the words, so the only thing that actually alarmed me about this set was the fact that it contained 38 volumes, while my set contained a mere 36. What had been left out? I checked back on the listing details. Ah...two of the volumes here (just enough!) were The Life of Charles Dickens by John Forster.

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