THE HAND OF ETHELBERTA a Comedy in Chapters

11 volumes. First Edition of the original issue, presented in original format in the eleven volumes issued over the course of months, from July 1875 through May 1876. With eleven attractive wood-engraved plates after George Du Maurier. Tall octavo, in the publisher's original wrappers, all decorated on the front and rear covers, with a great profusion of ads throughout. Now housed in two fine morocco backed foldover cases, the spine panels with raised bands ruled in blind, the compartments lettered in gilt or decorated with central gilt tooled designs. The 11 original parts bound in the original orange wrappers, each part containing 4 chapters, plus other short stories, poems, articles etc. An uncommonly handsome set of one of Hardy's rarest works, all the more so in original format in the first issue example of the work and in collector's condition. The volumes are each still quite fresh, with no significant wear, and just a bit of expected mellowing and rubbing at the tips or extremities, the text brighter and cleaner then is typically seen, especially well preserved.

Edizione: a very attractive set in original format, rare in the parts and one of hardy's scarcest works, listed as number four in comparative scarcity in book form by sadleir. it is even more rare in the original wraps and in this state of condition, most copies being either rebound or separated for binding presentation.<br> the events of the story concern ethelberta's career as a famous poet and storyteller as she struggles to support her family and conceal her secret—that her father is a butler. beautiful, clever, and rational, she easily attracts four very persistent suitors (mr. julian, mr. neigh, mr. ladywell, and lord mountclere), but is reluctant to give her much-coveted hand.