THE VICAR OF WAKEFIELD; A Tale by Doctor Goldsmith
by Oliver Goldsmith
- Used
- Near Fine
- Hardcover
- Condition
- Near Fine
- Seller
-
Beachwood, Ohio, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
THE VICAR OF WAKEFIELD; A Tale by Doctor Goldsmith, (Illustrated with 24 Designs by Thomas Rowlandson) is a novel by Irish writer Oliver Goldsmith (1728–1774). It was written from 1761 to 1762 and first published in 1766. It was one of the most popular and widely read novels among Victorians.
This Second Edition copy of the book, a reissue of the 1817 edition, was published in 1823 in London by R. Ackerman at The Repository of Arts and printed by W. Clowes of Northumberland Court. It is illustrated with 24 hand-colored aquatints by Thomas Rowlandson. The book, which measures approximately 6 x 9 ½ inches, contains 254 numbered pages of text, followed by the 24 illustrated plates. The book is bound in a lovely three-quarter red morocco binding with a hubbed spine and gilt stamping and lettering – the title label being gilt on green leather and the author title being gilt on tan leather. Other than a closed tear in one of the illustrated plates and some rubbing along the edges of the covers, the book is near fine condition.
The illustrations accompanying this description show the book's covers, the Title page, the first page of the story, and two typical illustrated plates.
Oliver Goldsmith (10 November 1728 – 4 April 1774) was an Anglo-Irish novelist, playwright and poet, who is best known for his novel The Vicar of Wakefield (1766), his pastoral poem The Deserted Village (1770), and his plays The Good-Natur'd Man (1768) and She Stoops to Conquer (1771, first performed in 1773). He is thought to have written the classic children's tale The History of Little Goody Two-Shoes (1765). [Wikipedia]
Thomas Rowlandson, (1756 - 1827), English painter and caricaturist who illustrated the life of 18th-century England and created comic images of familiar social types of his day, such as the antiquarian, the old maid, the blowsy barmaid, and the Grub Street hack. His characters ranged from the ridiculously pretentious, with their elaborate coiffures, widely frogged uniforms, and enormous bosoms and bottoms, to the merely pathetic, whose trailing handkerchiefs expressed their dejected attitudes. [Britannica]
Synopsis
"The greatest object in the universe, says a certain philosopher, is a good man struggling with adversity." When Dr Primrose loses his fortune in a disastrous investment, his idyllic life in the country is shattered and he is forced to move with his wife and six children to an impoverished living on the estate of Squire Thornhill. Taking to the road in pursuit of his daughter, who has been seduced by the rakish Squire, the beleaguered Primrose becomes embroiled in a series of misadventures – encountering his long-lost son in a travelling theatre company and even spending time in a debtor’s prison. Yet Primrose, though hampered by his unworldliness and pride, is sustained by his unwavering religious faith. In The Vicar of Wakefield , Goldsmith gently mocks many of the literary conventions of his day – from pastoral and romance to the picaresque – infusing his story of a hapless clergyman with warm humour and amiable social satire. In his introduction, Stephen Coote discusses Goldsmith’s eventful life, the literary devices used in the novel, and its central themes of Christianity, justice and the family. This edition also includes a bibliography and notes.
Reviews
(Log in or Create an Account first!)
Details
- Bookseller
- Pages For Sages (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 1571
- Title
- THE VICAR OF WAKEFIELD; A Tale by Doctor Goldsmith
- Author
- Oliver Goldsmith
- Illustrator
- Thomas Rowlandson
- Format/Binding
- Bound in a lovely three-quarter red morocco binding with a hubbed spine and gilt stamping and lettering – the title label bein
- Book Condition
- Used - Near Fine
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- Second Edition
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Publisher
- R. Ackerman at The Repository of Arts
- Place of Publication
- London
- Date Published
- 1823
- Pages
- 254
- Size
- 6 x 9 ½
- Weight
- 1.40 lbs
- Keywords
- Novel, Literature
- Bookseller catalogs
- Literature;
Terms of Sale
Pages For Sages
About the Seller
Pages For Sages
About Pages For Sages
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Rubbing
- Abrasion or wear to the surface. Usually used in reference to a book's boards or dust-jacket.
- Title Page
- A page at the front of a book which may contain the title of the book, any subtitles, the authors, contributors, editors, the...
- Gilt
- The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
- Edges
- The collective of the top, fore and bottom edges of the text block of the book, being that part of the edges of the pages of a...
- Morocco
- Morocco is a style of leather book binding that is usually made with goatskin, as it is durable and easy to dye. (see also...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...