Book Blogger Hop No. 153: Time Travel for a First Edition!!

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hosted by Billy @

Ramblings of a Coffee-Addicted Writer!

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This Week's Question

If you could travel back in time

to purchase the first printing

of a specific novel, what

book would that be?

(Submitted  by Billy  @ 

Ramblings of a Coffee-Addicted Writer)

My Answer

This one is a total no-brainer for me, as my FAVORITE CLASSIC OF ALL TIME is Jane Eyre, that immortal novel by Charlotte Brontë!!

This first edition, first printing is available in our time, but for the hefty price of $45,000!! It's actually for sale on Ebay, too! You can view the listing right HERE! The photo you see above is of the actual book, or rather, books, as this edition was printed in three volumes, in the year 1847. If you look closely (you can also zoom in when you view this photo in the listing), you will notice that the binding is a dark green, and not a dark brown, as it appears to be at a short distance.

This edition was published by Smith, Elder, and Company. I had not expected the three volumes; I had always thought that this novel had been published as one book, even from the time it was first released. Well, live and learn, lol.

The three books look new, but that's because they've actually been "rebound in 20th-century, dark green, crushed morocco, by Bayntun (Riviere)". This is an actual quote from this Ebay listing. 

The original title of this novel is Jane Eyre: An Autobiography, edited by Currer Bell in Three Volumes. (The author was using a masculine pen name to hide her gender, as women were "not supposed" to be novelists in her time. That, of course, is VERY laughable now!!)

This listing probably won't be available for very long, as Ebay listings are temporary. I'm sure some wealthy collector will come along pretty soon, and pick up these books!

I know there must be more of these scattered throughout the Internet. However, they must all be extremely expensive, due to the age of this first edition.

This novel totally captivated me when I first read it in high school, in a small, paperback edition. It captivated me again, when I read it for the second time, in 2014. That was during a read-along co-hosted by Brian @ Babbling Books and myself. We GREATLY enjoyed it!! We asked each other questions, and answered them, as well. Although it was supposed to be a read-along, by the end of it, there was only one other blogger also answering the questions -- Jim @ The Frugal Chariot. Nevertheless, I think this was a truly memorable experience! You can read my review, as well as access the read-along links, HERE.

This novel details the unforgettable story of Jane Eyre, an English orphan whose passionate love for her wealthy employer is just as passionate as her struggle to remain true to herself, even at the cost of great sacrifice. This is a novel to treasure and re-read again and again, especially for women, as it is a true feminist novel. 

Naturally, I would MUCH prefer to be able to travel back in Time, so that I could buy this edition without paying so much money! Lol. I might also possibly be able to purchase a copy signed by the author herself!! Alas, if only I had a Time Machine..... Hey, H.G., where did you hide those blueprints?

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this topic?

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