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The Scarlet Letter
by Hawthorne, Nathaniel
- Used
- Fine
- Hardcover
- Signed
- first
- Condition
- Fine
- Seller
-
Newburyport, Massachusetts, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
New York: Heritage Press, 1935 Presumed Reprint. Hard cover, 8vo, in slipcase, red cloth, blind stamped with vignette initial "A "design top board, with additional blind stamp to spine, with titles blocked in gold. The frontispiece has a color illustration by the Chicago-trained graphic artist William Addison Dwiggins, (1880-1956) signed in pencil by the artist. After a stint at the Lakeside Press, Dwiggins continued his career in the Boston area, designing quite a few typefaces, doing commercial work, and book design for firms including the Merrymount Press. Salem, Massachusetts-born novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) penned this fictional classic of Puritan patriarchal morality at odds with the life choices of the young Hester Prynne and her adulterous love-child. She is tormented both by her community, and an elusive husband, who rather than openly reuniting with his estranged wife, becomes obsessed with identifying her lover. Originally published in 1850. [OCLC 260716.] CONDITION: Fine. in a Very Good slipcase. M. Bussacco BHP-FS-3A.. First Series (A) 1935.. Hard Cover. Fine. Illus. by W.A. Dwiggins (signed by artist).
Synopsis
The Scarlet Letter: A Romance (1850) is considered the American author Nathaniel Hawthorne's 'masterwork.' A work of historical fiction set in the Massachusetts Bay Colony during the Puritan settlement of 1642-1949 itells the story of Hester Prynne, who after having a child as a result of an extra-marital affair attempts to live a life of repentance and dignity although she is marked by having to wear a Scarlett A on her person. Throughout the novel, Hawthorne explores themes of legalism, sin, and guilt. The Scarlett Letter was one of the first mass-produced novels in the United States, prior printing of books generally done by hand. The 2,500 copies first printed sold out in days, and the mass-production of books opened up conversation about books and authors to a wider-audience on a national level. The first edition of The Scarlet Letter sold out in ten days and “made Hawthorne’s fame, changed his fortune and gave to our literature its first symbolic novel a year before the appearance of Melville’s Moby-Dick” (Bradley). Although an instant best-seller, the books sales over fourteen years only brought the author $1500.
Reviews
On Oct 4 2010, Erhanilhan said:
An absolute criticism of Puritan society. Hawthorne portrays the hypocritic sides of the society by pointing its discrepancies and ill-interpreted biblical sides deeds. He also shows that the society was not working in the name of god as stated; instead worked for a group of people (especially powerful) that keep the lines in hand.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Dark and Stormy Night Books
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 9063
- Title
- The Scarlet Letter
- Author
- Hawthorne, Nathaniel
- Illustrator
- W.A. Dwiggins (signed by artist)
- Format/Binding
- Hardcover
- Book Condition
- Used - Fine
- Edition
- First Series (A) 1935.
- Publisher
- Heritage Press
- Place of Publication
- New York
- Date Published
- 1935
Terms of Sale
Dark and Stormy Night Books
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About the Seller
Dark and Stormy Night Books
Biblio member since 2005
Newburyport, Massachusetts
About Dark and Stormy Night Books
Now in our eighteenth year, Dark and Stormy Night Books is an online bookstore,
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selling Rare, Antiquarian and "other interesting finds" to individuals and institutions around the world. Some of our books are now housed among the world's leading libraries and collections.
We work to promote the significance of a wide variety of ideas, from whatever era they might originate. We celebrate, and work to preserve, the artistry of the printed page, the handwritten word, and the craftsmanship of the hand-made object in today's virtual, digital world.
Sign up for our occasional catalogues/newsletters!
Visit our website: darkandstormynightbooks.com
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- Reprint
- Any printing of a book which follows the original edition. By definition, a reprint is not a first edition.
- Vignette
- A decorative design or illustration placed at the beginning or end of a ...
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