‘It is never too late to mend.’ A matter of fact romance.

/ by Charles Reade. New Edition. London : Richard Bentley, 1857. Second edition. Octavo (185 x 125 mm), contemporary gilt-ruled half black calf over marbled papered boards (heavily rubbed), spine in compartments decorated in gilt and with contrasting leather title piece lettered in gilt; marbled endpapers, early ownership inscription to dedication page; pp. 274, with several vignette illustrations; binding firm, occasional spotting, a few leaves with short edge tears or corner loss, otherwise internally good.

British writer Charles Reade (1814-1884) partly based his novel It Is Never Too Late to Mend (aka It’s Never Too Late to Mend) on his earlier play set on the Australian goldfields, Gold!. First published in 1856, it was immensely popular and was later adapted for the stage.