SHELLEY, Mary. Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus, Revised, Corrected, and Illustrated with a New Introduction by the Author. Volume IX of Bentley's Standard Novels series. (SECOND PRINTING OF THE THIRD EDITION WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION- 1832)

AUTHOR: SHELLEY, Mary

TITLE: Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus, Revised, Corrected, and Illustrated with a New Introduction by the Author. Volume IX of Bentley's Standard Novels series.

PUBLISHER: London: Henry Colburn & Richard Bentley, 1832.

DESCRIPTION: SECOND PRINTING OF THE THIRD EDITION. 1 vol., with the engraved frontis, with a new introduction by Mary Shelley, bound with the "Ghost-Seer" as issued. Bound in the publisher's original mauve cloth, with the original gilt leather spine labels, textblock uncut as issued.

CONDITION: Spine slight sunned, wear to edges of spine labels, vertical split to spine cloth but not detached, back corners good, inner hinges fine, front outer hinge fine, upper rear hinge just starting, head and foot of spine rubbed with some minor loss, internally clean and bright, no previous ownership markings or bookplate, a VERY GOOD completely unsophisticated copy of a notoriously difficult book to find in original cloth. Rebound, restored, rebacked, relined, recased copies of the bentley edition occasionally appear on the market for equal or more money but this copy has, thankfully, eluded the re-storer.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: All first four printings of "Frankenstein" are scarce. The first printing of the third edition contain the first ever attempt to illustrate the Monster. This edition is essentially identical to the first printing but with an 1832 printed title-page. In her introduction, Shelley contextualizes the creation of her tale: "It proved a wet, ungenial summer, and incessant rain often confined us for days to the house. Some volumes of ghost stories, translated from the German into French, fell into our hands… 'We will each write a ghost story,' said Lord Byron; and his proposition was acceded to"