The Mellstock Edition Of The Works Of Thomas Hardy, Complete In 37 Volumes Hardy, Thomas

Limited edition of 500 copies. Signed by Hardy to Vol 1, with a tissue-guarded portrait frontispiece by William Strang, and a map of Wessex to Vol 2. The books are firmly bound in dark blue cloth, lettered and decorated in gilt, the extremities are slightly rubbed and bumped and the cloth is slightly marked, some of the volumes look entirely unread, those that have been more heavily perused have a slight lean to their spines. The text blocks are slightly foxed and age toned, with minor marks. The dust jackets are the originals, they are toned to varying extents, quite marked and creased, some with small chips and closed tears to the edges, a few of these with small thin paper archival tape repairs to the reverses, a couple with slightly longer closed tears, but for the most part they are substantially complete and surprisingly robust. The last important new edition to be published during Hardy's lifetime, containing his final significant revisions to A Pair of Blue Eyes. It is quite uncommon to find a complete set with all the original dust jackets surviving.