Description:

In this Collector's Edition, Dickens's most captivating stories are gathered together, richly illustrated with handwritten letters, reproductions from rare books, and a splendid portfolio of prints and drawings from the special collections of The New York Public Library. Among them are Sol Eytinge's beautiful and tender illustrations for *A Christmas Carol,* which have not been reproduced for well over one hundred years. Dickens himself said of them, "They are remarkable for a delicate perception of beauty, a lively eye for character, a most agreeable absence of exaggeration, and a general modesty and propriety, which I greatly like." Rare family photographs are also reproduced here, including a portrait of Harry Burnett, Dickens's nephew, who is said to be the model for Tiny Tim. Along with the well-known and beloved *A Christmas Carol,* this edition presents several works which may be less familiar, including "Mrs. Gamp," "Sikes and Nancy," and "The Trial from Pickwick." Altogether, it's as though a glorious host of Dickens's incomparable creations has assembled at the fireside for a reader's delectation.