Wessex Novels (6)

HARDY, Thomas.  Folio series of Hardy's works.  London: The Folio Society, 1991. 6 vols. Printed and bound by the Bath Press. Dark green six-volume slip case with the Folio device in gold. Once the series of Hardy’s works was well under way, the six most popular novels were reprinted and issued together (the only works from the series not to be included at this stage were The Woodlanders and Wessex Tales. Each time the boxed set was reprinted over the next few years, extra copies of certain novels were ordered, for separate issue. 

The six volumes in this set are as follows: 

[1] Far from the Madding Crowd. Introduction by Bel Mooney, wood-engravings by Peter Reddick. 227 × 149 × 24 mm. Pp. [i–iv] v–xviii, 1–413 [414]. Type: Baskerville. Typeset by Latimer Trend, printed and bound by the Pitman Press. Full yellow-brown series binding decorated in red; pale brown endleaves printed in dark brown. The book contains 31 wood-engravings by Reddick, including the frontispiece. This work was reprinted at least 12 times, although at least two of the early impressions are not identified as such on the verso of the title-leaf. Copies of these impressions can only be identified as reprints by their bulk and by the imprint of the Bath Press replacing that of the Pitman Press.

[2] The Life and Death of the Mayor of Casterbridge: The Story of a Man of Character. Wood-engravings by Peter Reddick. 228 × 148 × 29 mm. Pp. [1–4] 5–334 [335–336]. Type: Baskerville. Printed by Richard Clay. Bound by Mackay in full dark brown cloth decorated in green with a design of a corn dolly, dark brown leather spine-label; brown endleaves with Emery Walker’s ‘Map of the Wessex of the Novels and Poems’ redrawn by David Eccles. Including the frontispiece, there are 36 wood-engravings, printed in the text.

[3] The Return of the Native. Wood-engravings by Peter Reddick. 228 × 149 × 33 mm. Pp. [1–4] 5–413 [414–416]. Type: Baskerville. Printed by Richard Clay. Bound by Webb and Son in full green series binding, decorated in pale green; brown endleaves with Walker’s map. There is a total of 38 wood-engravings, mostly on a small scale, printed in the text. The paper used is Grosvenor Chater’s ‘Basingwerk Parchment’, a medium noted for its fine reception of wood-engraved images.

[4] Tess of the d’Urbervilles: A Pure Woman. Introduction by Elspeth Sandys, wood engravings by Peter Reddick. 227 × 150 × 32 mm. Pp. [i–iv] v–xix [xx], 1–418 [419–420]. Type: Baskerville. Printed and bound by the Bath Press. Full purple series binding decorated in lilac; lilac endleaves with the map in purple. The book contains 19 wood-engravings by Reddick, including the frontispiece.

[5] The Trumpet-Major: John Loveday, A Soldier in the War with Buonoparte, and Robert His Brother, A Tale. Introduction by Paul I. Webb, wood-engravings by Peter Reddick. 227 × 147 × 27 mm. Pp. [i–iv] v–xvi, 1–314 [315–320]. Type: Baskerville. Printed and bound by the Bath Press. Full red series binding decorated in dark red; red endleaves with the map in black. The book contains 20 wood-engravings by Reddick, including the frontispiece.

[6] Under the Greenwood Tree, or The Mellstock Quire, a Rural Painting of the Dutch School. Introduction by Angela Thirlwell, wood engravings by Peter Reddick. 227 × 150 × 20 mm. Pp. [i–iv] v–xx, 1–172. Type: Baskerville. Printed and bound by the Bath Press. Full dark green series binding decorated in pale green; green endleaves with the map in dark green. The book contains 13 wood-engravings by Reddick, including the frontispiece.

A sealed set with a heftier bump to rear, a little dusty with some small plaint splatters on the plastic seal (only); else looking clean with nice, sharp corners.

A difficult set to find in pristine condition as the spine labels are so-very-prone to wear from handling, so a nice opportunity to purchase them intact.