Physical description

A small red self patterned Collins Illustrated Pocket Classics novel The Caxtons: A Family Picture. It is very badly damaged with the spine coming away from the pages, loose pages and tears. Pages 3,4 and 5 are missing. The frontispiece opposite the title page is a black and white illustration of three well dressed men of the period standing talking in a sitting room. A few black and white illustrations are throughout the book. At the back are four pages of Collins' Illustrated Pocket Classics for further reading. Pp 632.

Publication type

fiction

Inscriptions & markings

At the front of the book on the left top of the page is printed in grey pencil: 'Agnes With love from Madge. In the middle of the same page written in copperplate script in grey pencil: ' Agnes Martin 14 Fosbery Av. Caulfield'. Dec 1928' is written at the bottom of the page.

Summary

The Caxtons: A Family Picture is an 1849 Victorian novel that was popular in its time. The book was first serialised anonymously in Blackwood's Magazine from April 1848 to October 1849 and first published as a novel in 1849. Victorian novels were characterised by depictions of everyday people, hard lives and moral lessons. They were meant for more than just entertainment. Victorians were interested in the hero as well as folk art. Victorian novels often focused on these themes.