The History Of Tom Jones A Foundling Fielding, Henry Books,British Literature

Illustrations by Warren Chappell. Introduction and commentary by Martin C. Battestin. Edited by Fredson Bowers. Small 4to. Beige cloth with brown lettering, slipcase with color plate. xxx, 999pp. Color frontispiece, full-page color plates, line drawings, color map endpapers, sewn-in purple satin page marker. Fine/fine. Academic owner signs top edge of 11 text leaves in red ballpoint, checkmarks four names on "Advisory Board" page and on preface circles name of one scholar thanked, noting "My teacher at Madison" in margin. Superb, tight and bright copy of this volume in the definitive "Wesleyan Edition of the Works of Henry Fielding" series, the authoritative text of the 1749 fiction edited by none less than bibliographic giant Bowers -- and this unusual copy bears two fine, matching autograph additions from stars of the 1963 "Tom Jones" film version tipped to inner flyleaf: On recto at top is ALBERT FINNEY (1936-2019; portrays title character), who signs a heavy stock 5" X 3" card hugely in blue fineline, dating it 18 February 1972 at upper right; and on verso at top is DAVID WARNER (1941-2022; portrays Blifil), who signs an identical card in blue fineline and dates it 11 August 1972 at upper right. On the blank leaf facing the Finney signature is a printed "with compliments" slip. Laid in are the ideal bookmarks: Finney and Warner's original transmittal envelopes.