c1924 – CRANFORD By Mrs Gaskell Vintage Hardback Book READERS LIBRARY

Description: c1924 – CRANFORD By Mrs Gaskell Vintage Hardback Book READERS LIBRARY c1924 – CRANFORD By Mrs Gaskell Vintage Hardback Book. This is part of the ‘Readers Library’ series of books and published by The Readers Library Publishing Company Ltd, London. Made and printed in Great Britain by the Greycaine Book Manufacturing Co., Ltd, London. This book is not dated. However, I believe that this edition dates to approximately 1924. This is an early edition of this series. The foreword (at the start of the book) states “already, in less than four months that these books have been on the market, upwards of two and a half million copies have been sold in Great Britain alone”. It is my understanding that The Readers Library Publishing Company Ltd was formed in December 1923 by two brothers, Ralph Hall Caine and Derwent Hall Caine, the sons of a renowned as successful Victorian novelist and playwright, Sir Thomas Henry Caine. I believe that this would date this book to approximately 1924. The earlier copies have the ecclesiastical, gothic style illustrated endpapers and pastedowns, which is replicated on the title page, which are both included in this edition. The publishers used the address of their headquarters of Ancaster House, 42-43, Cranbourn Street, London, from around April 1924 and this address was then displayed on the title page, which is the case with this book. Later books displayed the address of “The Readers Library, Publishing Company Ltd, 66-66a Great Queen Street, Kingsway, London”. I believe that the publishers moved to that address around late 1924 to early 1925. This book predates this. The Readers Library was intended to bring the best-known novels of the world within the reach of the millions, by presenting at the lowest possible price per copy, in convenient size (pocket-sized), on excellent paper, with beautiful and durable binding, a long series of the stories, copyright and non-copyright, which everybody had heard of and could desire to read. The foreword of the book states that “Nothing of the kind has ever before been possible, even in the days when book production has been least expensive. To render it possible now it will be necessary that each volume should have a sale of hundreds of thousands of copies, and that many volumes of the series should in due course find their way into nearly every home, however humble, in the British Empire”. The novels of the Readers Library were selected by one of the most distinguished of living men of letters, and a short biographical and bibliographical note on the author and his works was appended to each volume. The books were printed by elder brother Ralph's firm, the Greycaine Book Manufacturing Company. The Readers Library, although immensely successful, eventually succumbed to competition. In 1935, major competitors came onto the market and the company soon ceased production. This book is without a dust jacket. The red cloth bound boards and spine are intact, robust, and in a very good condition for a book which is very nearly 100 years old. There is just a little fading to the cloth, a gentle lean to the spine, and minimal wear. Please see the photographs provided for further details. The spine and front board are decorated with beautiful gilt designs and lettering. Inside, the pages are tanned, which is consistent with a book of this age. The pages are in an overall very neat and clean state, and the majority of the pages are uncreased. Some of pages have uneven edges and are roughly cut, but this is highly likely due to the construction of this book and is all part of its beautiful history. The page leaves were probably uncut and then severed with a pen knife. There are unopened pages (uncut leaves) present between the very last page and the back pastedown, at the page top edge (see the photo for reference). There is only a small rip the edge of the front endpaper and there are no further rips to the pages. On the front pastedown there is a small pen inscription. However, there are no further pen or pencil marks written inside this book. There is an issue with the binding and between several pages there is a slight crack in the gutter and a handful of pages are partially loose, to just one side of the inner edge, and so still attached within the book (See the photograph of page 206-207 for an example). THIS IS REFLECTED IN THE PRICE. There are no missing pages and so all 253 pages are present. There is also a page at the front which contains a list of books within the ‘Readers Library’. Please study the photos carefully as to the condition of this book, as they do form part of the description. This measures approximately 17 cm by 10.7 cm and 1.8 cm wide. It weighs approximately 166 grams. "Cranford" is a novel written by Elizabeth Gaskell, often referred to as Mrs. Gaskell, and first published in 1851-1853 as a series of vignettes in the magazine "Household Words" edited by Charles Dickens. It was later published as a book in 1853. Set in the fictional town of Cranford, the novel presents a series of interconnected stories that revolve around the lives people in a close-knit rural community. The narrative offers a humorous and often satirical portrayal of the customs, manners, and social dynamics of the time. Thank you so much for looking.

Price: 9.99 GBP

Location: Newark

End Time: 2024-12-27T19:35:51.000Z

Shipping Cost: 28.09 GBP