Victorian Political Reform Literature George Eliot "Felix Holt: The Radical" First Edition 1866

George Eliot

First Edition

Eliot, George. Felix Holt: The Radical, 1866, examines electoral politics, class conflict, and reform ideology in nineteenth century Britain through a narrative set in the aftermath of the Reform Act 1832. Written by Mary Ann Evans under the name George Eliot, the novel situates parliamentary elections within debates over representation, extending attention to tensions between middle class enfranchisement and the continued exclusion of working class voters. The characters Harold Transome, a self-described reform candidate operating within elite political structures, and Felix Holt, a working class watchmaker advocating more substantive democratic change, articulate competing visions of political participation and reform. Eliot’s engagement with these themes places the work within broader nineteenth century discussions of liberalism, industrial society, and the limits of political inclusion, extending concerns also present in her later novel Middlemarch.

Eliot, George. Felix Holt: The Radical. London: William Blackwood and Sons, 1866. First edition, first printing. Three volumes. Bound in full crushed morocco by Bayntun, with gilt titles to spines, gilt dentelle borders, marbled endpapers, and ribbon markers. Douglas Clan bookplate with motto “Jamais Arriere” present on front pastedowns. Volumes measure approximately 7.5 x 5 inches.

Published during a period of continued electoral reform debate in Britain, the novel extends the political implications of the 1832 legislation into later nineteenth century discourse, engaging questions of franchise expansion and the role of working class political agency. Eliot’s treatment of electoral culture, including campaign dynamics in a provincial town, contributes to the study of Victorian political consciousness and literary responses to reform movements. The three volume format situates the work within standard mid nineteenth century publishing practices for circulating libraries, reflecting the readership structures through which political fiction reached broader audiences. Spines sunned to an olive green tone; minor residual stamp to title page of volume I; binding remains firm with clean interiors. Overall near fine condition.

Item #20730

Price: $850.00