(London: Tinsley Brothers, 1871).

Hardy's first PUBLISHED book, and very scarce INDEED. The book was published anonymously in an edition of only 500 copies. Hardy wrote an earlier novel but had been unable to get it published. It was suggested to him to "attempt a novel with a purely artistic purpose, giving it a more 'complicated' plot than was attempted with his first, unpublished novel." The publication of Desperate Remedies was Hardy's breakthrough work, and the first of a long string of novels that propelled him to the forefront of Victorian letters. Hardy destroyed the manuscript to his one earlier and unpublished novel so no copies of it exist today. Thus it can be fairly said that Desperate Remedies is not only his first published work but also his earliest surviving. Item #25552

3 volumes. Very scarce first edition. 8vo, bound in antique, near contemporary three-quarter blue morocco over blue marbled boards, the spines are gilt lettered in two compartments and have wide gilt decorated raised bands, t.e.g., the original red cloth to the upper cover and spine of Volume I has been retained and bound in. Now housed in a fine morocco backed foldover protective case. 304; 291; 274 pp. A very pleasing and handsome set of this rare book, quite fine internally with just a bit of normal age mellowing to the text, the original half-titles retained, the antique bindings with some light evidence of age or use at the joints and extremities.