A Christmas Carol. in Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas.
Philadelphia: Carey & Hart, 1844. Leech, John. First American Edition. Small Hard Cover. Good / No Jacket. Item #2354780
First American edition. All plates and engravings present. A couple internal chips and tears to spine cloth, edges rubbed with bottom fore edge corners a bit exposed, spine leans forward a bit, scattered smudges, a few pages lightly foxed, one engraving page corner restored with paper (does not affect illustration itself), top marginal corner of last two text pages clipped (does not affect text). A suitable copy for light restoration.
158 pp. Dark red cloth, gilt titles and decorations on spine. A miser learns the true meaning of Christmas when three ghostly visitors review his past and foretell his future. Among the most famous holiday stories in literature, to which we owe at least some of our modern understanding of the ethos of Christmas and the holiday season. Originally published in serialized form in England, and released in book form there as well, this original American edition was unauthorized, and is considerably scarcer than the first British edition in book form. The illustrations were adapted from the UK version, adding the color to four of the plates. This work has been adapted to film a number of times, including everything from lighthearted versions like A Muppet Christmas Carol to others that lean more into gothic horror.
Price: $3,250.00