DICKENS, Charles (1812-1870). [Christmas Books]. London, 1843-1848.

5 works in 5 volumes, 8vo (165 x 102 mm). Uniformly bound in crushed red morocco, covers with a single gilt-ruled frame, spines in 6 compartments with 5 raised bands, gilt-lettering in 2, others with mistletoe devices, all edges gilt, STAMP-SIGNED BY BAYNTUN & RIVIERE; each with original cloth covers retained and bound at rears; slipcase.

A COMPLETE SET OF THE CHRISTMAS BOOKS. ALL FIRST EDITIONS, comprising:

A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas. London: [Bradbury and Evans for] Chapman & Hall, 1843. Half-title printed in blue, title printed in red and blue, verso printed in blue. Hand-colored etched frontispiece and 3 plates by and after John Leech, 4 woodcut illustrations by W. J. Linton after Leech; 2-pp. publisher’s ads at rear. (Small marginal chip near head on p.79.) FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE with the uncorrected “Stave 1” as the first chapter heading, the balance of the text uncorrected.

The Chimes: A Goblin Story of Some Bells that Rang an Old Year Out and a New Year In. London: [Bradbury and Evans for:] Chapman & Hall, 1845 [but 1844]. Half-title, frontispiece, additional vignette title. FIRST EDITION, second state vignette title-page with “Chapman & Hall” printed outside the cloud.

The Cricket on the Hearth. A Fairy Tale of Home. London: Bradbury & Evans for the Author, 1846 [but 1845]. Half-title, frontispiece, additional vignette title; 2pp. publisher's ads. FIRST EDITION, second state with the three-line italic heading for Oliver Twist on [p.1] of the publisher’s ads.

The Battle of Life. A Love Story. London: Bradbury and Evans, 1846. Half-title, frontispiece, additional vignette title. FIRST EDITION, second state vignette title-page.

The Haunted Man and the Ghost’s Bargain. A Fancy for Christmas-Time. London: Bradbury & Evans, 1848. 2pp. publisher's ads at front, half-title; frontispiece, additional vignette title. (Horizontal paper repairs near gutter of frontispiece and vignette title.) FIRST EDITION of Dickens’ last Christmas Book.

A Christmas Carol is regarded as Dickens’ most widely read novel and considered to be “the greatest Christmas book ever written in any language” (Eckel p.116), selling more than 6000 copies in the few days leading up to Christmas. The work was extravagantly costly as Dickens for the first time (and incidentally his last) used color in the title-page and etchings as he wanted to make the book a beautiful gift and to be a celebration of the Christmas spirit. After the initial success, Dickens continued the series throughout the 1840s, maintaining “the Carol” philosophy to “strike a sledgehammer blow” for the poor, uneducated, and repressed. Eckel pp.110-125; Smith II:4-6, 8-9.