20 volumes, tall 8vo. Half-titles and title-pages printed in red and black, frontispieces by Hermann Lea, folding map of Wessex at end. Contemporary red calf gilt, top edge gilt, stamp-signed by Zaehnsdorf (spines darkened with light wear at ends and joints).

"Wessex Edition." A complete initial set of the "definitive edition" of Hardy's works, to which were added 4 later volumes not included in this set. "For this edition Hardy revised his novels throughout for the last time, correcting a few errors and adding an occasional footnote or brief postscript to the earlier prefaces" (Purdy, p.286).