Waverly Novels-Any idea of the date?

Leaves by Ashley Paige posted Nov 12, 2016 at 5:19 PM

Title page by Ashley Paige posted Nov 12, 2016 at 5:19 PM

Cover by Ashley Paige posted Nov 12, 2016 at 5:19 PM

Collection by Ashley Paige posted Nov 12, 2016 at 5:19 PM

Hi! Thanks for taking the time to read this post. I found these lovelies at an antique store for a good deal, but I can't figure out exactly how old they are. The publisher is George Routland and Sons, New York. The company had that name from 1865 to 1912. The have beautiful marbled covers, and the leaves have a curved shape when viewed from the top and bottom. The condition seems to be decent, but there is significant wear. I'm pretty new at antiquarian

Half title by Ashley Paige posted Nov 12, 2016 at 5:19 PM

book collecting so any knowledge you have is appreciated.

 

Welcome, Ashley! Your link only takes viewers to your Profile and not to your pictures. What you need to do is use the "camera" icon in the reply toolbar and then select each of the pictures you want us to see.

 

Do as Bakers says and always use the FULL IMAGE option for all photos always. Please.
Also, many of us will not open links.

 

Scott was the Ian Fleming or (someone more modern and wildly popular) of the 19th C. His books went into innumerable editions and reprints in many countries. I suppose at one time almost everyone literate had a set of the Waverley novels.

Late to end of 19th C, in average condition maybe $5 to$10 per volume.

The publisher is Routledge.

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Se...tby=2&tn=waverley+novels&wassortselected=true

 

I got a partial set of the Waverly Novels years ago - different edition - and as was my habit, tried reading them. While I enjoyed his more famous works, I found many of the less-well-known to be among the most boring things I have ever read.
My gosh, he could spend page after page just describing the shoes worn by a minor character. Writing styles have certainly changed since these were penned.
To quote at random: as a character in "Heart of Midlothian" rearranges her clothing:

"She soon perceived reason, however, to regret that she had set about this task, however decent and necessary, in the present time and society. Madge Wildfire, who, among other indications of insanity, had a most overweening opinion of those charms, to which, in fact, she had owed her misery, and whose mind, like a raft upon a lake, was agitated and driven about at random by each fresh impulse, no sooner beheld Jeanie begin to arrange her hair, place her bonnet in order, rub the dust from her shoes and clothes, adjust her neck-handkerchief and mittans, and so forth, than with imitative zeal she began to bedizen and trick herself out with shreds and remnants of beggarly finery, which she took out of a little bundle, and which, when disposed around her person, made her appearance ten times more fantastic and apish than it had been before."

All that, in just two sentences......

 

Holy cat puppies!!
May be 'sentences' of record length!

 

It's the difference between reading before electronic media and reading after electronic media.

 

My husband must be channeling that era. I had a writing teacher who wanted us to write like Hemingway - terse. Jon writes convoluted, compound sentences that drive me up a wall. I hate it when he asks me to proof something for him.

 

And reading to others and reading alone.

Debora

 

Rutledge was only at that address from 1881 to 1904. A very handsome decorative set for the library shelves of someone's McMansion but a (much) later edition.

Debora