"The Gilded Age, A Tale of To-Day", by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner, published by American Publishing Company, Hartford, "Sold by Subscription Only", "1882" is imprinted on the title page, First Edition, later printing (first printing of this edition was issued in 1873-1874), illustrated.

Twain's first novel co-authored by his friend and neighbor Charles Dudley Warner. After the issue of this novel "Gilded Age" become a description of the 'Post-Grant' era of American History. The novel tells an epic story of Colonel Sellers and the Hawkins family in their relentless and convoluted pursuit of wealth, and their concept of wealth as a worthy end in itself. Wealth eludes them, often with tragic results...

"PREFACE

This book was not written for private circulation among friends; it was not written to cheer and instruct a diseased relative of the author's; it was not thrown off during intervals of wearing labor to amuse an idle hour. It was not written for any of these reasons, and therefore it is submitted without the usual apologies.

It will be seen that it deals with an entirely ideal state of society; and the chief embarrassment of the writers in this realm of the imagination has been the want of illustrative examples. In a State where there is no fever of speculation, no inflamed desire for sudden wealth, where the poor are all simple-minded and contented, and the rich are all honest and generous, where society is in a condition of primitive purity and politics is the occupation of only the capable and the patriotic, there are necessarily no materials for such a history as we have constructed out of an ideal commonwealth.....

We do not object to criticism; and we do not expect that the critic will read the book before writing a notice of it: We do not even expect the reviewer of the book will say that he has not read it. No, we have no anticipations of anything unusual in this age of criticism. But if the Jupiter, Who passes his opinion on the novel, ever happens to peruse it in some weary moment of his subsequent life, we hope that he will not be the victim of a remorse bitter but too late..."

US: Priority (c 2-4 days) ------- $12.50
Canada: Priority (c. 2-6 weeks) - $26.50
World: Priority (c.2-8 weeks) --- $37.50

Original hard cover, gold decorated cloth (some shelf wear, collector's leather spine with three raised bands, see photos); 6" x 9"; front endpaper is missing, 574 pages + one page 'Appendix'; 212 illustrations, by Hoppin, Stephens, Williams, White, Etc. Etc. the fold-out 'map' is missing; some pages [c. 30 ] are stained; a couple corner folds, good condition [see photos].