The Rival Kings, or, Overbearing
By The Author Of Sidney Grey
Published by W. Kent & Co: London 1857 1st Edition
"The Rival Kings, or, Overbearing (1857), published by W. Kent & Co., London, and written by the anonymous author of Sidney Grey, is a mid-Victorian novel exploring themes of pride, rivalry, and moral reformation within the frameworks of family and society. Set against the backdrop of England's genteel middle and upper classes, the story traces the conflict between two dominant personalities—figures of contrasting ambition and temperament—whose struggle for power and influence exposes the destructive effects of vanity and class arrogance. In keeping with the moral-domestic fiction of its era, the novel interweaves romantic entanglements, misunderstandings, and redemptive moments that lead its characters toward humility, reconciliation, and the triumph of moral principle over social pretension.
The book's subtitle, Overbearing, aptly captures its central lesson: the dangers of excessive pride and the need for self-control and empathy in personal relations. Like Sidney Grey, it reflects the author's characteristic blend of sentiment, humour, and moral earnestness, aimed at instructing as well as entertaining a Victorian readership. The 1857 first edition stands as a representative example of mid-nineteenth-century domestic realism—gracefully written, moral in tone, and attentive to the emotional tensions between duty, love, and social expectation."
General wear and fading to cover and spine as shown. There are no inscriptions. Light ageing to endpapers and around plates otherwise pages typically clean and well presented. Includes ALL 6 plates. Scarce 1st edition fine binding. Please study photos to understand condition. Happy to provide more photos on request.
