JAMES, HENRY | Washington Square, The Pension Beaurepas, A Bundle of Letters, London: Macmillan and Co., 1881

The Property of a Gentleman

JAMES, HENRY

Washington Square, The Pension Beaurepas, A Bundle of Letters, London: Macmillan and Co., 1881

Two volumes, 8vo (4 7/8 x 7 3/8 in.; 123 x 190 mm). Half-titles, 24 pp. publisher's advertisements dated January 1881 at the end of Vol. II; foxing to preliminary leaves. Original blue-green cloth (BAL’s BF cloth), covers ruled and panelled in black, spines gilt lettered, brown coated endpapers; Vol. I slightly cocked and corners just rubbed, spines lightly sunned, cracks to joints of endpapers, edges slightly soiled. Each in custom quarter blue silk over marbled board clamshell cases. 

First English editions of Washington Square and A Bundle of Letters; first edition of The Pension Beaurepas, in first issue bindings

The English edition of Washington Square was preceded by the American edition by one month. The English edition also included The Pension Beaurepas, not previously published in book form, and A Bundle of Letters, which had previously been published in book form in America. 

The plot of Washington Square was based upon a true story told to James by Fanny Kemble, a British actress who was a close friend of the author. The work has frequently been compared to the novels of Jane Austen, given its tight focus on family relationships, and the grace of the prose. Such a correlation is apt, given that Austen and James produced some of the most skilled realist narratives in the English language. James himself, however, was not a fan of Washington Square, and it was not included in the New York Edition of his fiction (1907–1909). Today is remains one of the author's more popular works. 

One of 500 sets printed

REFERENCES

BAL 10552; Edel & Laurence A 15b; Sadleir 1295a