SURTEES, Robert Smith; LEECH, John (illus).

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Plain or Ringlets? First edition in book form, following publication in 13 monthly parts between 1859 and 1860, of the last novel to be published in Surtees's lifetime. Leech's humorous illustrations and his "caricatured but more modern approach [were] the perfect foil to Surtees's writing" (ODNB).Surtees's (1805-64) novels revolve around British field sports. His "sharp, authentic descriptions of the hunting field have retained their popularity among fox-hunters" and "his mordant observations on men, women, and manners; his entertaining array of eccentrics, rakes, and rogues; his skill in the construction of lively dialogue (a matter over which he took great pains); his happy genius for unforgettable and quotable phrases… have won him successive generations of devoted followers" (ODNB).

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