LITTLE DORRIT
by Charles Dickens
First edition in book form bound from the first issue parts. 
London: Bradbury and Evans, 1857. In contemporary, half-leather binding, with all first issue points present inside in keeping with Smith Bibliographical Catalogue of Charles Dickens.
 
Good/Very Good Condition.
 
Octavo (22 cm); xiv, 625 pages, and 40 engraved plates by H.K. Browne (a.k.a. Phiz). In contemporary half-leather binding: Black leather and olive-green cloth covered boards. Black leather spine has four raised bands and is adorned with gold-gilt motifs, lines, and title text: LITTLE DORRIT.
 
All illustration plates are present. In some places the original pin holes are visible where this was previously bound in parts. (See photo). Please note, this volume does not contain advertisements or original blue covers.
 
Condition:
 
Outside Cover: Good Condition. On the spine, a red smudge mark is on the right-side of the second raised band resulting in small loss of gilt in that area. (See photo). Wear to the spine joint at front hinge, more noticeable at the top resulting in an ~1/2" crack and tear of the leather at the top of the spine/cover joint. Rubbing to the leather at the top of the spine.
 
Inside: The binding is Very Good. Moderate foxing throughout, heavier on edges of some of the illustration pages. A prior owner has penciled in some corrections for several names throughout the book that were originally misprinted (ex: Frederick for William, and Blandois instead of Rigard).
Endpapers: Some staining around the edges, and stain marks noticed throughout the front end papers.
Pages 375-377: At the very bottom, there is a small tear ~1/4" that extends through these three pages.
Pg. 474 Illustration "Missing and Dreaming". ~1/2" tear across the illustration title word "and". Please see photo.
About the Story
Originally published in serial form between 1855 and 1857, Little Dorrit is about Amy Dorrit, the youngest child of her family who is born and raised in the Marshalsea Prison for debtors in London. In Little Dorrit, Dickens’s satirizes the ridiculous system of imprisoning debtors (thus prohibiting their ability to work) until they paid off their debts. Dickens’s own father had been in debtors’ prison and it was, sadly, a situation known all too well to Dickens.