Charles Dickens Bibliography

UK First Edition Books

A Collectors Reference Guide

      Find an Author
A B C D E
F G H I J
K L M N O
P Q R S T
U V W XYZ  


More Information
Charles Dickens, born 1812 and died 1870, is regarded as one of the giants of English literature. There is more than enough information about his life and works available both in print and on the net, so will shall not recover the same ground. This bibliography deals with English first editions and how to identify them. It is a fairly complex checklist but all the relevant information is included. If your copy does not conform then it is a reprint. Many editions have later, or indeed contemporaneous, leather bindings, in which case internal issue points should be noted. Values for original bindings/covers are very much higher than for rebound editions. Some titles which are subsequently bound in leather can be surprisingly cheap in fact. Care does need to be taken when paying large sums for 1sts, do ensure that the book and contents are sound and genuine. Even during Charles Dickens' lifetime people were reprinting 1st issue title pages etc and binding them into reprints! Modern forgeries should be reasonably easy to spot, though these period ones are another mattter.
If you are looking to buy or sell books then our antiquarian booksellers section may be of some assistance.

You may also Like
Mark Twain
George Eliot
Thomas Hardy

Title   Date Notes
Sketches by Boz Illustrative of Every-Day Life and Every-Day People Macrone 1836 2 volumes in dark green cloth. Preface has 'Furnival's Inn February 1836'
As Above - Second Series Macrone 1837 Pink cloth. Preface 'December 17, 1836'
Sketches by Boz Illustrative of Every-Day Life and Every-Day People Chapman 1837 to 1839 20 monthly parts
As above Chapman 1839 1 volume edition dated 1837, monthly parts bound
Sunday Under Three Heads Hall 1836 as Timothy Sparks, wraps. 1st has 'hair' spelt correctly page 7 line 15
Ditto Hall 1836 as above but bound
The Village of Coquettes Bentley 1836 1st wraps, 2nd bound
The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club edited by Boz Hall 1836 Green wraps, 20 monthly parts in 19 issues.
Ditto Chapman 1837 Bound from above parts, 1st has 'S Veller' on page 342 line 5
Oliver Twist or The Parish Boy's Progress Bentley 1838 as Boz. 3 volumes red/brown cloth. 1st issue has 'Rose Maylie and Oliver' plate in volume 3 depicting them by fireside.
2nd issue shows them at church

3rd issue has Dickens not Boz on title page
Sketches of Young Gentlemen Chapman 1838 Anon. Blue-green paper boards
The Memoirs of Joseph Grimaldi Bentley 1838 edited by Boz. 2 volumes. 1st issue pink cloth, no border around final plate. 2nd has brown cloth and border
The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby Chapman 1838 20 monthly parts in 19 issues. Green wrappers, 1st issue has 'vister' on page 123 line17. 1st bound edition 1839 green cloth
Sketches of Young Couples Chapman 1840 Greyish paper boards
Master Humphrey's Clock Chapman 1840 by Boz in 88 weekly parts with white wraps. Then 20 monthly parts in green wraps. First book 1841 3 vols brown cloth, clock on front points to volume numbers. 2nd issue no hands on clock
The Old Curiosity Shop Chapman 1841  
Barnaby Rudge Chapman 1841  
American Notes for General Circulation Hall 1842 2 volumes, 1st issue purple cloth, prelims misnumbered page x as 'xvi'
Martin Chuzzlewit Chapman 1843 20 monthly parts in 19 issues. Green wraps. 1st book 1844 blue cloth, bound from unused parts. 2nd issue brown cloth
A Christmas Carol Chapman 1843 Numerous variations, 1st may be brown cloth, dated 1843, green endpapers and 'Stave I' in first page of text
The Chimes Chapman 1845 1st issue has publisher name in title vignette, second has name below
The Cricket on the Hearth Bradbury 1846 1st issue, red cloth,  has ads on page 175 has title 'new editions of Oliver Twist' missing
The Battle of Life A Love Story Bradbury 1846 1st issue has title in heavy type on title page. Second is light type and supported by Cupids, publisher name at bottom. Third as 2nd but publisher name not at bottom
Pictures from Italy Evans 1846 Blue cloth
Dombey and Son Bradbury 1848 20 monthly parts in 19 issues. First book 1848 dark green cloth
The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain Bradbury 1848 1st red, blind stamped cloth, date to title page '1848'. 2nd date 'MDCCCXLVIII'
The Personal History of David Copperfield Bradbury 1849 20 monthly parts in 19 issues, green wrappers. 1st book 1850 green cloth
A Child's History of England Bradbury 1852 '53, '54. 3 volumes. 1st book, page 211 ad list 4 books + 5 Christmas books. Vol III has 'Collected and Revised' page 324
Bleak House Bradbury 1852 20 monthly parts in 19 issues, blue wraps.. 1st book 1853
Hard Times Bradbury 1854 Green cloth 'price 5/' on spine, 2nd issue no price
Little Dorrit Evans 1855 20 monthly parts in 19 issues, blue wrappers. First book 1857 olive cloth
A Tale of Two Cities Chapman 1859 8 parts in 7, blue wraps, 1st issue page 213 numbered 113. 1st book 1859 red cloth, 2nd green cloth. Then both books as above but with pages numbered correctly
Great Expectations Hall 1861 3 volumes, 432 pages of adverts dated May 1861. Cloth colours, purple, plum or yellowy-green
The Uncommercial Traveller Hall 1861 Red/purple cloth ads dated December 1869
Our Mutual Friend Chapman 1864 20 monthly parts in 19 issues, green wraps. 1st book 1865 2 volumes in brown cloth
The Mystery of Edwin Drood Chapman 1870 6 parts, green wrappers. 1st book green cloth sawtooth border around cover. 2nd issue no border

bibliography section

bookseller world

join us     contact us     site map