1894- Peter Ibbetson, Strange Tale of Communication through Dreams by Du Maurier

An attractive late nineteenth-century illustrated edition of George du Maurier’s haunting first novel, a remarkable Victorian tale of love, memory and a mysterious form of communication through shared dreams.

Author: George du Maurier.
Title: Peter Ibbetson.
Publisher: New York: Harper & Brothers, Publishers, undated [1894].
Edition: Later illustrated printing of the 1891 American edition. The publisher’s catalogue at the rear advertises du Maurier’s Trilby, confirming that this copy was issued after the original 1891 publication.
Language: English.
Pages: vii, 418 pages, followed by publisher’s catalogue.
Size: 7.5 x 5 inches.
Binding: Very good original pale green cloth binding, attractively decorated to the front board with a dark green floral, ribbon and violin design accented by two gilt hearts, with stylized lettering below. Spine lettered and decorated in gilt with heart devices. Very good condition with light age toning to the spine, slight rubbing and minor wear to the extremities, as shown. Binding firm and well preserved. Protected in a removable mylar cover. 
Content: Very good condition. Clean and firmly bound throughout, with only light age toning and occasional minor spotting consistent with age. Includes the introduction attributed to Peter Ibbetson’s cousin Lady ***** (“Madge Plunket”). Publisher’s advertisements preserved at the rear.
Illustrations: Extensively illustrated throughout in black and white by George du Maurier, including a frontispiece, full-page plates, headpieces and numerous illustrations integrated into the text. The images depict childhood in France, Parisian and London scenes, family life and the increasingly dreamlike world at the heart of the novel.

Estimate: USD $200–225.

The book: Peter Ibbetson was George du Maurier’s first novel and one of the more unusual works of late Victorian fiction. Presented as the autobiographical memoir of its protagonist, the story follows Peter from a nostalgic childhood in France through separation, tragedy and imprisonment. Its most memorable element is the extraordinary bond between Peter and Mary, the Duchess of Towers, who discover an ability to meet within a shared dream world, allowing memory and imagination to transcend physical separation.

First appearing at the beginning of the 1890s, the novel combines romance, psychological fantasy, supernatural suggestion and autobiographical reminiscence. Du Maurier’s own illustrations are particularly important to the atmosphere of the work, shifting effortlessly between affectionate scenes of childhood and the strange interior world of dreams.

The author: George du Maurier (1834–1896) was a French-born British artist, cartoonist and novelist, celebrated for his sophisticated illustrations of Victorian society and his long association with Punch. Late in life he turned to fiction, producing three novels, Peter Ibbetson, Trilby and The Martian.

Du Maurier was both author and illustrator of Peter Ibbetson, giving the book an unusual unity of text and image. His fascination with memory, dreams, altered states of consciousness and the persistence of childhood experience gives the novel a distinctly modern psychological quality beneath its Victorian romantic surface.