HUGO, Victor. Translated from the French by Charles E. Wilbour.
Les Miserables.
"One of the most popular bestsellers of the nineteenth century": First American edition and first edition in English of Victor Hugo's Les Miserables; in the rare publisher's original cloth
New York: Carleton, 1862.
$7,200.00
Out of Stock
Item Number: RRB-149563
* Custom Clamshell Boxes are hand made by the Harcourt Bindery upon request and take approximately 60 days to complete
First American edition and first English translation of Hugo's epic historical novel, published in the same year as the first French edition. Royal octavo, five volumes, original publisher's purple-brown cloth-covered boards decorated in blind and in gilt, rust-colored endpapers, binder's ticket to each rear pastedown with the exception of the third volume. In very good condition with uneven toning to the cloth, rubbing and wear to the extremities and spine tips. Housed in a custom felt-lined clamshell box. A handsome set, rare in the original publisher's cloth and in complete form.
Charles E. Wilbour embarked on his English translation of Victor Hugo's Les Misérables even before its official release in France in 1862. His swift and dedicated efforts enabled the first American edition to be published by Carleton Publishing Company within months of the French debut. This rapid turnaround was complemented by an aggressive advertising campaign, which propelled the novel to immense popularity in the United States. By the onset of the Civil War, Les Misérables had become one of the nation's best-selling books, second only to Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin in pre-war American book sales. The novel's profound themes of justice, redemption, and social inequality resonated deeply with American readers, both in the North and the South. During the Civil War, soldiers and civilians alike found solace and reflection in its pages, often reading it in camps and hospitals. Its widespread readership during this tumultuous period underscores its significant impact on American society.
Les Miserables.
$7,200.00
Out of Stock
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