Charles Dickens — Sketches by Boz

London, Chapman and Hall, 1839. First edition. Leather. The complete edition of Charles Dickens's first book, a collection of short stories containing Victorian wit, vivid characters, and brilliant depictions of everyday London. The first complete edition of Sketches by Boz, a short story collection and the first book written by Charles Dickens. Published by Chapman and Hall in 1839.In quarter dark green calf, with contemporary green cloth boards. Contains all forty illustrated plates by frequent collaborator and iconic illustrator George Cruikshank, including a frontispiece and decorative title leaf. Collated complete.The complete edition was the first to be published as one book, with Sketches being originally serialised in newspapers and later published as a book in two volumes. Alongside this complete edition were the Pickwick Papers and Nicholas Nickleby, both published as one volume works.Focusing on nineteenth century London, Sketches contain many of Dickens's classic tropes, including Victorian wit, vivid characters, and a brilliant depiction of the everyday. In quarter dark green calf, with contemporary green cloth boards. Externally, mostly smart, with the odd faint mark to cloth. Slight fading to the spine, and rubbing to joints and edges. A couple of rubbing marks to calf. End papers are generally bright and clean with the small odd spot, lighter to rear. Minor wear to front end paper hinge. Previous owner's pencil inscriptions to end papers, rear end papers containing list of plates. Internally, firmly bound. Pages are generally bright and clean, with minor age toning, and signs of browning to plate extremities, heavier to frontispiece and decorative title leaf. Very Good . Ill.: George Cruikshank. Very Good .