The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens (Illustrated)

This is an almost like new hardcover with slipcase. 1941 (reprint '70's) from Heritage Press. It is one of the first editions to UNDERLINE certain passages to indicate the erasures and blackouts found in the original manuscript, thereby notifying the reader to the possibility that the original text INCLUDED passages Dickens may or may not have intended to include in the final draft, as he passed before publication. The hardcover is like new. Crisp and clean, unmarked inside. Binding tight and straight as new. The slipcase is very good, but there is fading from age to slipcase. Tan cloth hardcover handsome edition w filigree trim.

This final novel by Charles Dickens is a murder mystery and was published in installments in 1870. The novel was not complete at the time of his death and his manuscripts contained readable erasures. In this edition those erasures are added and indicated. There is a note on the text of this edition that explains the text and underlines used for indicated passages. The original manuscript of the novel by Dickens included backed-out passages and erasures, as have subsequent editions. They are simply indicated with underlines for the reader in this edition so as to acknowledge the possibility that Dickens may not have included them had he lived to finalize the text. It makes for contemplative reading while the reader imagines wether Dickens himself meant for the blacked out and erased text to be included or not. This edition is also illustrated by Everett Shinn in full color. Sure to please any Dickens, literature or vintage book fan.