*SOLD*
 
Anna Karenina
Leo Tolstoy
New York, 1886
 
First edition, first printing in English of one of the greatest novels of all time.
 
Original blue cloth, spine head and toe a bit frayed, cracked hinges holding, a couple of bubbles on rear cover, tear along top quarter of last couple leaves, textblock a bit over-opened throughout, contents clean, owner signature to endpaper, overall about Very Good. This copy comports with the most compelling bibliographical hallmarks of the first printing - floral endpapers, no leaf at the front mentioning other Crowell Russian titles, 5 pages of ads in the rear with no mention of other Russian titles.
 
A book to be reread after 30 years of age to fully digest the ambrosia of wisdom that Tolstoy serves. An absolutely incisive masterwork that was immediately identified as such by his also great contemporaries.
 
(Tolstoy, Russian, Literature)