Henry James. First edition, first printing. Same publication date on both title and copyright pages. NAP. Published without dust jacket. No writing or markings found in this copy, 596 pp. In very good condition with some rubbing to edges and corners, this early edition remains structurally sound and highly collectible. Spine is a bit skewed and early sign of fraying. Foxing on some pages. All pages are intact and nothing is loose on the book, especially remarkable for a book soon to turn 140 years old.
Offered here is a scarce first edition, first printing of The Princess Casamassima by Henry James, published in 1886 by Macmillan and Co., London. This is the true UK first in single-volume format, bound in original dark green cloth with gilt titles and elegant black ruling. A key work in James’s literary shift toward political themes, this novel explores the psychology of radicalism and class identity through the life of a bookbinder drawn into anarchist intrigue.
A major turning point in James’s career, this title is increasingly sought after by collectors of 19th-century literature.
It is generally considered his 10th published major work of fiction, and his second novel published in 1886 (after The Bostonians). It was serialized first in The Atlantic Monthly from 1885–1886 before this single-volume edition was issued by Macmillan.
