Things as They Are; Or, The Adventures of Caleb Williams; In Three Volumes.
London: B. Crosby, 1794. First Edition. Three vols., small 8vo., 293, [1, errata]; 285; 304pp; modern three-quarter calf and brown cloth with gilt spines; (the binder erroneously stamped the date "1797" to the spines), t.e.g. A stain affects the upper corners of the first half-dozen leaves in Volume 1; some scattered, faint foxing; nice copies in a custom cloth slipcase. Item #206047
A complete copy of Godwin's celebrated novel, with all half-titles. Appearing amid the intellectual ferment inspired by the French Revolution, Godwin's novel was immediately popular and controversial owing to Godwin's radical politics and his depiction of class tensions. But beyond those considerations, it was also radical in form and style. Today it is regarded as one of the first detective novels and a key work of Gothic fiction. The first edition has become very uncommon.
Price: $3,500.00