The Egoist: A Comedy in Narrative by Meredith, George - 1879, c.1880

The book pictured is the copy being sold; there is a barely noticed previous owner's name on the inside cover; there is tanning, strong at the edges; the back inside paper is cracked. There is no publication date on the front or back of the title page. The book was originally published by London's Kegan Paul in 1879 as a three volume set; this book contains all 50 chapters. This Lovell publication includes a list 200 "Oxford" editions in advertisement section which includes Children of the Abbey which was published by Lovell in 1880. Since The Egoist has many re-published many times in the 20th century, the value of this book is probably decorative. "The novel recounts the story of self-absorbed Sir Willoughby Patterne and his attempts at marriage; jilted by his first bride-to-be, he vacillates between the sentimental Laetitia Dale and the strong-willed Clara Middleton. More importantly, the novel follows Clara's attempts to escape from her engagement to Sir Willoughby, who desires women to serve as a mirror for him and consequently cannot understand why she would not want to marry him. Thus, The Egoist dramatizes the difficulty contingent upon being a woman in Victorian society, when women's bodies and minds are trafficked between fathers and husbands to cement male bonds (Wikipedia)." 458 pages