Fine copy of a first edition, very early fourth UK Bloomsbury printing of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, with a number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4. The first few printings of this title were released in a very limited print run comparable to the first edition, and as with the first printing, this very early reprint does not yet feature the Hogwarts shield on the title page, which was introduced in later printings. The pictorial boards are exceptionally fine, with sharp spine ends and corners. The binding is very tight, and the endpapers are clean, with no marks, inscriptions, or stamps. The pages are clean and bright, with hardly any browning to the edges. The book is undoubtedly unread. It comes with a first-state unclipped dust jacket that was also used for the first printing, featuring issue points on the front flap that were changed in later printings (e.g., Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone not italicized; no comma after 'Tom El-Shawk, Age 11;' 'Age' capitalized).
Unfortunately, a customs officer made a sharp vertical cut with a paper knife across the lower half of the spine of (only) the dust jacket. This cut has been closed with acid-free tape and is barely visible, especially since the jacket is now kept in a removable acid-free transparent Brodart archival cover. For this reason, this beautiful and rare book with an otherwise excellent dust jacket is being offered at a reduced price.
