Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
Price: US$320.82 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: Bound in contemporary calf, spine labels titled in gilt, boards ruled in gilt, some browning to endleaves; Vol.I recently rebacked (but retaining the original label); some wear to spine of Vol.II, silk headband exposed. Neat contemporary ownership signature in both volumes. An attractive set.
Seller: Collinge & Clark, London, United Kingdom
Oliver Goldsmith. The Vicar of Wakefield. F Newbery, 1766.
Price: US$384.98 + shipping
Condition: Fair
Description: Second edition, volume two only, uneven rough cut edges very worn boards, spine badly worn but still holds this copy fair only needs much love. The signature on ffep is that of James Penny, could it be the one who gave his name to Penny Lane, in Liverpool.
Seller: siop lyfrau'r hen bost, Blaenau Ffestiniog, United Kingdom
Oliver Goldsmith. The Vicar of Wakefield. The Second Edition. F. Newbery, 1766.
Price: US$450.00 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: Two volumes, duodecimos, contemporary calf worn, old rebacking, joints breaking, spine ends and corners worn, engraving of Goldsmith added to blank fly leaf of first volume, neat red morocco gilt bookplate in first volume, name on titles, bit embrowned, minor spot here and there, decent working copy. This first London edition was extensively revised by Goldsmith, who reworked virtually every page with additions of new material, revisions, etc. The result is the first printing of what has become the definitive text of this classic. This set may require extra postage, with the exact amount depnding upon the destination.
Seller: G. W. Stuart, Jr., ABAA(emeritus), Yuma, AZ, U.S.A.
Price: US$450.00 + shipping
Description: Two vols., 12mos; half titles not called for; lacks final blank of Vol. 1; [viii], 214pp; [vi], 223pp; contemporary calf with gilt-tooled spines, red and green spine labels. Goldsmith made significant revisions for this edition, which includes his signed advertisement and tables of contents. This copy with catchword on p. 213 of Vol. 1, p. 159 of Vol. 2 correctly numbered, and the catchword "Boy" on p. 39. An appealing set of Goldmsith's most enduring work and a classic of eighteenth-century fiction. Short tear to front endpaper of Vol. 2; general soil and offset edges; covers rubbed, front cover of Vol. 1 detached; bookplates of Chillingham Castle and Mary Elizabeth Hudson.
Seller: Locus Solus Rare Books (ABAA, ILAB), Los Angeles, CA, U.S.A.
Price: US$1090.78 + shipping
Description: 2 vols., 12mo., wanting the terminal blank in volume I and the preliminary blank in volume II, offset from the turn-ins on first and last leaves, otherwise a good copy in contemporary sprinkled calf, neatly rebacked; early ownership inscription of F.Mourgue in each volume, and nineteenth-century bookplate of George Frederick Lees.Second edition, published two months after the first, printed by William Strahan in 1000 sets, and revised throughout by Goldsmith, with more than 450 new substantive readings, nearly all of them accepted by Arthur Friedman as authorial and admitted into the definitive Oxford text (Collected Works, 1966, volume IV). Although the next three editions also appeared in Goldsmith's lifetime, Friedman is convinced that he did not revise any of them. 'They contain occasional new substantive readings, [but] when Goldsmith revised [a work] he always made . frequent and extensive changes, so that his hand is clearly visible. In these three editions the changes are . infrequent and . minor [and] none . has been admitted into the edited text' (Collected Works, IV, 11-12).The Vicar of Wakefield, 'one of the most frequently reprinted novels in English, manages to seem both a deliciously innocent tale and a wicked mockery of sentimentality. In its naieve, sententious, oddly endearing Dr Primrose, Goldsmith created one of the great unreliable narrators of British fiction' (John Mullan reviewing Brothers of the Quill: Oliver Goldsmith in Grub Street by Norma Clark).Roscoe A200 (3). Language: English
Seller: Bernard Quaritch Ltd ABA ILAB, London, United Kingdom
Price: US$1283.27 + shipping
Description: Second London edition, revised from the editions published in Salisbury and then London the same year. This edition has substantial authorial changes to the text; Goldsmith did not make further revisions and it is used as the basis for modern editions. Goldsmith's sentimental masterpiece was one of the most popular novels of its age - more than 20 editions followed before the close of the century - and is recognized as one of the classics of 18th-century literature. This edition "contained some additions, such as Burchel's repetition of his famous monosyllable at each pause in the revelations of Miss Skeggs; and some omissions, as of a passage that Goldsmith may possibly have found in use against himself, in which he had said of Moses, 'for he always ascribed to his wit that laughter which was lavished on his simplicity'" (Forster, p. 20). ESTC T146180. John Forster, Life and Times of Oliver Goldsmith, vol. II, 1854. 2 volumes, duodecimo (167 x 97 mm). Contemporary sprinkled calf, volume numbers to spine in gilt, double gilt rule to covers, red speckled edges. Ownership signature of M. E. Miller to title page of each, dated 1823 in the first. Aside from very light rubbing bindings fresh without wear; light offsetting from turn-ins and sporadic light foxing else contents clean. A very attractive copy.
Seller: Peter Harrington. ABA/ ILAB., London, United Kingdom
Price: US$1764.49 + shipping
Description: 2 volumes. 12mo, 160 x 100 mms., pp. [viii], 214; [vi], 225 [256 blank], recently rebound in quarter calf, raised bands between gilt rules on spine, red morocco labels, vellum tips on corners, ; fore-margins of front free end-paper and title-page of volume one slightly defective and fragile, other leaves with slight loss at edges and corners, original end-papers preserved with the autograph "Elizabeth Gibbs/ Elizabeth Isalbella Rosson" on the recto of the top margin of the front free end-paper in volume and "Elizabeth Gibbs" in volume two. The composition and printing history of the text of The Vicar of Wakefield is expertly told by Arthur Friedman in his Collected Works of Oliver Goldsmith (1966). Friedman states that "The text of the Vicar offers few difficulties. The first edition [1766] contains a fair number of misprints, many of them in the headlines and catchwords; and a few formes underwent correction of obvious errors as they were going through the press. The first is used as copy-text. The second edition was extensively revised, and most of the new readings have been admitted into the edited text." Both the Monthly Review and the Critical Review gave some space to the novel, very briefly in the former, with the rather devastating commenting that it displayed "beauties sufficient to entitle ita to almost the highest applause, and defects enough to put the discerning reader out of all patience with an author of so strangely undewriting himself.--With marks of genius equal, in some respect, to those which distinguish our most celebrated novel-writers, there are in this work, such palpable indications of the want of a thorough acquaintance with mankind, as might go near to prove the Author totally unqualified for success in this species of composition."
Seller: John Price Antiquarian Books, ABA, ILAB, LONDON, United Kingdom
Price: US$2342.23 + shipping
Description: In two volumes. Pp. [viii]+214+[2](blank)+[vi]+224)(last blank); post 12mo; early calf, spines decorated in gilt compartments between raised bands, with gilt lettered brown morocco title label to Volume I, the other 3 labels (title to Volume II and both volume labels) missing, but with signs of the lettering still visible, boards with gilt edges, fore-corners a trifle worn, upper joint of Volume I cracking, spine extremities slightly chipped both volumes; bookplate of Samuel Blackwell on upper pastedowns, [earlier?] owner's name in ink on upper free endpaper Volume I, hinges starting same volume and tender in Volume II, the endpapers browned at edges, tiny hole affecting one word of text p. 118 Volume I, occasional slight soiling; F. Newbery, London, 1766. Second edition. ESTC T146180. *Published in the same year as the first edition 1,000 copies of the second edition were printed. Goldsmith made significant revisions for this edition, as the first edition contained several misprints, many of them in the headlines and catchwords. This copy has the author's Advertisement and the final blank, the catchword on page 213 in Volume I, the correct numbering of page 159 in Volume II, and the catchword 'boy' on page 39 also in Volume II.
Seller: Kay Craddock - Antiquarian Bookseller, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Price: US$2500.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: First edition, first printing of Goldsmith's classic novel. Four variants of the first edition have been recorded, with minor misprints common to all four, this being Rothschild's variant 4, p. 159 of volume 2 misnumbered as 165. Salisbury: Printed By B. Collins, for F. Newbery, in Pater-Noster-Row, 1766. brown polished calf boards ruled in gilt with a decorative border in blind, rebacked to style with raised bands, decorated in gilt, spine labels titled in gilt; later endpapers, bound without original blanks, pp. (iv), 214. (ii), 223. Boards show a bit of general shelfwear and rubbing, gilt rubbed, bindings tight and sturdy. Scattered light foxing to pages, offsetting to title page and the first few pages of volume 1, "Vol I" on title page nearly rubbed away, thin strip mounted to top of title page of volume 2, presumably to cover a signature of which a portion is visible, pages 129-136 of volume 2 cut a little short but not affecting text. An attractive copy of this important novel, one of the most popular and widely read 18th century novels among Victorians.
Seller: Kevin Sell, The Rare Book Sleuth, IOBA, Minneapolis, MN, U.S.A.
Price: US$3757.84 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: 12mo. 2 volumes. 16.2 cm x 9.5 cm bound in 12's. Vol. 1 pp.: [blank], title-page, [2] - Advertisemant signed Oliver Goldsmith, 214, [blank]; Vol. 2 pp.: [2 blank], title-page, 223, [2 blank]. An exquisite period binding in full brown morocco by Zaehnsdorf, with 5 raised bands, gilt-stamped spine titles, all edges gilt, inner dentelles, and marbled endpapers. Invisible repair to first blank of vol. 2, cccasional light offsetting within the text, otherwise a very handsome and collectible copy. Vol. 1 points: contains the terminal blank or K12, p. 15 omission of first word "husband" on first line, catchword on p. 13 "if" is correct; Vol. 2 points: p. 39 catchword "him", p. 95 running title "Waekcfield", p. 159 pagination correct.
Seller: Karol Krysik Books ABAC/ILAB, IOBA, PBFA, Toronto, ON, Canada
Price: US$4812.25 + shipping
Description: First edition of Goldsmith's sentimental masterpiece, one of the most popular novels of its age - more than 20 editions followed before the close of the century - and long recognized as one of the classics of 18th-century literature. This Salisbury edition is the true first, preceding the London edition by slightly over two months. Publication was much delayed, coming four years after the rights to the manuscript were sold to the publisher by Samuel Johnson on Goldsmith's behalf. The delay is ascribed to Goldsmith's revisions, or the publisher's reticence to commit to printing the work until Goldsmith had established a reputation. The edition was burdened with a number of typographic errors or omissions, the most significant of which have been sorted into four variants. This set is of the second variant, with no catchword on vol. I p. 213, the corrected catchword on vol. II p. 39, and vol. II p. 159 correctly numbered. ESTC T146176; Grolier English, 53, Rothschild 1028. 2 volumes, duodecimo (170 x 99 mm). Contemporary calf, neatly rebacked with the original spines laid down. Housed in early 20th-century custom blue morocco pull-off case by Riviere & Son. Contemporary armorial bookplate of the Walbancke family to front pastedowns. Complete with blank A12. A little rubbed, offsetting from turn-ins, loss to front free endpaper in vol. II, a little shaken. A good copy.
Seller: Peter Harrington. ABA/ ILAB., London, United Kingdom
Price: US$5900.00 + shipping
Condition: Fine
Description: Thjs copy compares with Iolo A. Williams "variant A" with the exception of the following points: page 159 in Vol. II is correctly numbered; on page 213, Vol. I there is a catchword; and the catchword on page 39 in Vol. ii is "him" not "was". K12 (blank) is not present in Vol. I of this copy. Bound in full mauve, levant morocco by Riviere, tooled and decorated in gilt on front and back boards, spine in six compartments with raised spines, tooled and lettered in gilt. Contents exceedingly clean. The Vicar of Wakefield is a novel by Irish author Oliver Goldsmith. It was written in 1761 and 1762, and published in 1766, and was one of the most popular and widely read 18th-century novels among Victorians. The novel is mentioned in George Eliot's Middlemarch, Jane Austen's Emma, Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities and David Copperfield, and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. In literary history books the Vicar of Wakefield is often described as a sentimental novel, which displays the belief in the innate goodness of human beings. But it can also be read as a satire on the sentimental novel and its values, as the vicar's values are apparently not compatible with the real "sinful" world. It is only with Sir William Thornhill's help that he can get out of his calamities. Moreover, an analogy can be drawn between Mr. Primrose's suffering and the Book of Job. This is particularly relevant to the question of why evil exists. As with all great fiction, though, The Vicar of Wakefield asks us to reflect on our own behavior - in this instance, how one acts in the face of adversity. Regardless of belief in God, Primrose's behavior broadly stresses the importance of acting well as its own means to an end. Things may not always work out - though they ultimately do for Primrose - but at least a person can adhere to correct values and good behavior in the process. Those who do usually end up in a good place. The great classic magnificently bound in a custom, leather trimmed slipcase.
Seller: Quaker Hill Books, Redding, CT, U.S.A.
Price: US$6500.00 + shipping
Description: Finely bound by Riviere & Son in full crushed morocco ornately stamped in gilt to spine and boards. All edges gilt. Inner dentelles gilt. Blue coated endpapers. Measuring 155 x 90mm and collating complete: [2], 214; [2], 223, [1, blank]. A first edition plagued by misprints and errors, there are four variants identified with no priority; the present is Temple Scott's variant B, with no catchword on page 213 of volume I, the correct catchword "him" on volume II page 39 and the correct page number on volume II page 159. A lovely copy outside and in, with just light sunning to spines; bookplates to early leaves, else fresh and with no signs of use. Housed in a custom cloth slipcase. Reportedly published as a means for thwarting debt, The Vicar of Wakefield became one of the most popular novels of the late 18th century. Mixing irony with sentimentalism, it paints a portrait of village life "narrated by Dr. Primrose, the title character, whose family endured multiple trials -- including the loss of their fortune, the seduction of a daughter, the destruction of their home by fire, and the vicar's incarceration -- before all is put right at the end" (Britannica). Plagued by numerous errors in its first edition, the printed work's imperfection was noted with amusement by its author in the printed advertisement: "There are an hundred faults in this Thing, and an hundred things might be said to prove them beauties. But it is needless. A book may be amusing with numerous errors, or it may be very dull without a single absurdity." ESTC T146176. Grolier English Hundred 53. Scott B.
Seller: Whitmore Rare Books, Inc. -- ABAA, ILAB, Pasadena, CA, U.S.A.