The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

Hartford: The American Publishing Company,, 1876. The preferred issue, with all edges gilt First US edition, first printing, the superior cloth issue with gilt edges. The American edition was originally available at $2.75 for cloth, $3.25 for cloth copies with gilt edges or bound in library-style leather, and $4.25 for "half-turkey, elegantly bound". As with much American work of this era, the leather bindings have not generally fared well and the blue cloth with gilt edges is preferred by discerning collectors. "The irresponsibility, the love of odd adventure, and the sense of natural justice as opposed to the village code, which characterize the heroes of this book and its sequel Huckleberry Finn, presented a sharp contrast to the Sunday School or rags-to-riches literature which was then the common fare doled out to children... these books let fresh air into the minds of parents who had shut the door on their own childhood, and they will be classics the world over as long as there are boys" (Grolier American 79). Square octavo. Frontispiece and numerous wood-engraved text illustrations by True Williams and others, 4-page publisher's advertisements at end, versos of half-title and preface blank. Original blue cloth, decoratively stamped and lettered in gilt and black, peach coated endpapers, all edges gilt. Housed in a dark blue quarter morocco solander box by the Chelsea Bindery. Light wear to spine ends and corners, smudges to rear cover, front inner hinge repaired, long closed tears to pp. 33-34 neatly repaired, ghosting to pp. 32-35 from a previous tape repair, else clean. A bright and sharp copy. BAL 3369; Grolier Children's 100, 41; Johnson, p. 27.