The Novel Review. February 1892 with review by G. Bernard Shaw

London, 1892. Slipcased. Good. Slipcased. Scarce. “The Novel Review” and its predecessor “Tinsley’s Magazine” were published 1867-1892. The periodical’s purpose, as stated by the editor, was to meet a want created by the increasing quantity of fiction published each year (896 new novels in 1891 alone) by providing a means for ordinary readers to be able to select the works most worth reading. Each issue was to list all novels published that month, with critical reviews of the more important works. This issue includes a very interesting piece by the young G. Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) in which he reviews his own first few novels, saying that this was because of “the extreme difficulty of finding anyone else who has read them.” At this point in his writing career he had achieved limited success, so the ironic and somewhat bitter tone of the article is not surprising.

Very good in the original fragile wraps with pictorial cover. There is chipping, particularly to the spine, and the covers have extensive darkening. There is darkening to the first few pages of ads and to the last few. The text itself is reasonably bright and clean. There are illustrations of Mrs. Humphry Ward, Bjorstjerne Bjornson, and Shaw, all protected by tissue guards. Housed in a faded green slipcase with chipped quarter leather back, with a two-fold folder protecting the periodical. A wonderful rare item for the Shaw completist. Pages 193 - 284. LIT/092707.