Marrin's Bookshop

Synopsis

With sixty illustrations by j. onwhyn.

Item Description

Large 8vo, in fours. 5.5 x 8.75 inches. xx + 620 pp. Illustrated by 60 engraved plates by J. Onwhyn, including frontispiece and engraved vignette title. Some plates towards the end are placed other than as indicated in the List of Illustrations but all plates called for are present. The best known novel of Henry Cockton (1807-53) which first appeared as a monthly serial in 1839 and published in book form in 1840. The adventures of his amazingly gifted ventriloquist include some well observed scenes of London life, which may be compared to those of Dickens. In his preface, the author attacks the abuses of 'the system of private Lunatic Asylums.' Among his later novels was a title relating the exploits of a Somnambulist but this proved far less popular than the Ventriloquist which continued to sell well until the beginning of the twentieth century.