1825 Rare First Edition - HANS of ICELAND by Victor Hugo Illustrated by Cruikshank. Gothic Novel.

 

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Author: Hugo, Victor; (Cruikshank, George - Illustrator).
Title: Hans of Iceland.
Publisher: London, J. Robins and Co., 1825. First English Edition.
Language: Text in English.
Size : 7.5 " X 5 ".
Pages: 225 pages.
Binding: Attractive and very good half green morocco leather binding, gilt lettering, 5 raised bands, upper edge gilt, marbled endpapers (hinges fine, overall slightly worn and scuffed - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover.
Content:  Very good content (bright, tight, and clean, rare light foxing - as shown). 
Illustrations: Complete with the nice frontispiece and the 3 beautiful full-page etchings by George Cruikshank. 

The book: Nice and rare first English edition of The story of Hans of Iceland. 
Hans of Iceland was written originally in French in 1821 and is the very first novel written by young Victor, years before he became the great Hugo. It has all the ingredients of a gothic novel: dreadful murders by the hand of a human monster, a young hero in love with the destitute heroine, royal court-intrigues, and rebellious uprising, all set in dungeons, dark towers, and the untamed nature of Norway.

"Some say this Monster was a Witch,
Some say he was a Devil"

The author: Victor Marie Hugo (26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French poet, novelist, and dramatist of the Romantic movement. Hugo is considered to be one of the greatest and best-known French writers. Outside of France, his most famous works are the novels Les Misérables, 1862, and The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (French: Notre-Dame de Paris), 1831. In France, Hugo is known primarily for his poetry collections, such as Les Contemplations (The Contemplations) and La Légende des siècles (The Legend of the Ages).