Colophon Books

Description

Alexandre Dumas.
Memoirs of a Physician. (Joseph Balsamo or Cagliostro).
Pub: Simms & McIntrye. 1847, Belfast. Norther Ireland & London.
3 volumes in one published in 1847-48 as part of the "Parlour Library" series by this publisher and numbered 2, 10 and 16 in the series of cheap literature. The final part has a date of 1848. (according to Sadleir in his 19th Century Fiction of 1951) It was published June 1st 1848 and is correctly dated 1848 here.There had been a slightly earlier "first edition" published in London in 1846, which only consisted of about half the book, up to chapter 67 of 131 chapters. This then is the first COMPLETE edition in English. The author was having trouble finishing the novel in France and the rest was not published until this complete edition by this Belfast publishing house. There is a short novelette bound in at the end by Madame Charles Reybaud "The Two Marguerites". with separate title page and 118 pages in length. The book has 3 title pages for the Dumas story, two dated 1847 and final part 1848 as called for. The parts are all complete and collated. 861 pages + the other title of 118 pages. Condition: Bound in a contemporary half calf, marbled boards, marbled endpapers, some small browning and light handling and age toning. A good to VG copy of this rare Dumas "1st edition". Also published under the various titles over the years as Cagliostro, Madame Dubarry, The Countess Dubarry, The Elixir of Life and in the USA by its sub-title of Joseph Balsamo, Physician. A true 19th century mystery and part sensationalist tale of twisting plots and crimes. In the same vein of the work of Wilkie Collins and Emile Gaboriou.