Anthony Trollope – Framley Parsonage – Author of “Barchester Towers,” etc. etc. – Three Volume First Edition Set 1861

A first edition, first printing of Framley Parsonage by Anthony Trollope, published by Smith, Elder and Co., London in 1861, in three volumes, with illustrations by J. E. Millais R.A., ex Ware Literary Institute. Volume 1 a near fine copy, free from internal inscriptions, the boards three quarter bound in marbled paper with leather bound corners and leather binding to the spine, gilt tooling and titling to the spine with ‘109 Ware Institute’ in gilt to the heel of the spine, some rubbing to extremities and shelf wear to the front and rear boards, pushing to the corners, ‘109’ written in pencil to the front paste down, adhesive remains of a former label similarly to the front paste-down, some damp-staining and light spotting to the prelims.

Volume 2 a near fine copy, free from internal inscriptions, the boards three quarter bound in marbled paper with leather bound corners and a surface scrape to the front upper corner, leather binding to the spine with gilt tooling and titling to the spine and numerical label to the centre of the spine, with ‘110 Ware Institute’ in gilt to the heel of the spine, some rubbing to extremities and shelf wear to the front and rear boards, pushing to the corners, a ‘Ware Literary Institute’ label to the front paste-down and ‘110’ written in both pen and pencil to the front paste-down, with ink ghosting to the front free end paper, light spotting to the prelims.

Volume 3 a similarly near fine copy, free from internal inscriptions, the boards three quarter bound in marbled paper with leather bound corners and surface scrapes to the front and rear upper corners, leather binding to the spine with gilt tooling and titling to the spine and a numerical label to the centre of the spine, with ‘111 Ware Institute’ in gilt to the heel of the spine, some rubbing to extremities and shelf wear to the front and rear boards, pushing to the corners, a ‘Ware Literary Institute’ label to the front paste-down and some damp-staining to the verso of preliminary illustration, light spotting to the prelims.

Framley Parsonage by Anthony Trollope is the fourth novel, originally published in 1861, in the series called The Barsetshire Novels. It is a novel about ambition, social class and moral choices in Victorian England; it centres on Mark Robarts, a young clergyman whose desire to rise in society leads him into financial trouble. The story intertwines romance, politics and church affairs, featuring characters from earlier chronicles of Barsetshire novels. With gentle satire and keen insight, Trollope explores the tensions between personal ambition and integrity, while portraying the charm and challenges of rural English life.