Complete Novels - Pride and Prejudice; Sense and Sensibility; Mansfield Park; Emma; Northanger Abbey and Persuasion - Jane Austen, Austin Dobson (editor), Charles E. Brock, Hugh Thomson, (illustrator) 1912-1929 - Macmillan and Co., London ‘I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of anything than of a book! When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.'

An elegantly bound little five volume set, comprising all of Austen's novels. Beautifully illustrated throughout by Hugh Thomson and Charles Brock. Each volume with an introduction by Austin Dobson. Presented in a matching bespoke fleece-lined scarlet cloth-covered slipcase with ribbon pull.

Affectation of candour is common enough—one meets with it everywhere. But to be candid without ostentation or design—to take the good of everybody's character and make it still better, and say nothing of the bad—belongs to you alone.’
  Jane Austen [1775-1817] is fondly known for her novels Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Persuasion, as well as her humour, depiction of contemporary English country life and the morals of the second half of the 18th century. Publishing anonymously, Austen was only identified for the first time in one of her novels, five months after her death in 1817, by her brother Henry on the first publication of Persuasion and Northanger Abbey.

Charles Edmund Brock (1870-1938) - Book illustrator and portrait painter. Born in Cambridge, educated at the Cambridge school and workshop of Henry Wiles, sculptor. Like his younger brother H. M. Brock, his métier was in the illustration of period books. His career began in earnest in the middle 1890’s and he continued to produce a regular output until his death in 1938. The Brocks worked closely together in the same Cambridge studio and gained stimulation from each other. They are well known for their accuracy in period settings, collecting Georgian furniture and clothing to study from.

Hugh Thomson (1860-1920) - Water colour artist and illustrator. Born in Londonderry. An instinctive artist with little formal training apart from a few classes at the Belfast School of Art, most of his instruction was from artist and designer John Vinycomb. Thomson created an idyllic world of stage coaches, sedan chairs, port and wine. From the late 1880s he was continuously in demand for the novels of Austin, Gaskell, and others as well as for contemporaries such as J. M. Barrie. His studies of London life and cockney poor are notable achievements and show the diversity of this talented artist.

Five small octavo volumes (binding size 18x11.8cm), pp.[2] xxx 352 [2]; [2] xvi 342 [2]; xviii 429 [3]; [2] xviii 437 [1] [2 (publisher’s ads)] [2]; [2] xvi 444 [4 (publisher’s ads)] [2].
  Finely bound in three-quarter burgundy morocco over matching moire cloth, spines with gilt lettered twin blue morocco labels and gilt decoration, top edges gilt.   Condition: Fine in fine recent bindings   Ref: 111198   Price: HK$ 16,000