Les Misérables

First French edition, issued in Paris on 3 April 1862, simultaneously with the Belgian edition, here including the very rare suite of 20 engraved plates by Castelli and Neuville on heavy wove paper. This scarce suite was produced to illustrate the first edition of Les Misérables. It was sold separately, as a supplementary set, and is only very rarely encountered bound together with the volumes.
A particularly interesting copy, as it is composite, and perfectly illustrating the publisher’s commercial strategy, which divided publication into three issues (the first two volumes on 3 April, the following four on 15 May, and the final four on 30 June), as well as the story of the phenomenal success of the most important novel of the nineteenth century, which compelled publishers to undertake multiple reprints less than ten days after the release of each part.
Here, volumes 1, 3, 4, and 5 bear the designation seventh or eighth edition; all other volumes carry no edition statement but have interim title-pages printed in red and black.
Contemporary half brown morocco bindings, spines with four raised bands ruled in gilt; some rubbing to the spines, scattered foxing. A good copy.