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The Scarlet Letter. A Romance
by HAWTHORNE, Nathaniel (1804-1864)
- Used
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, United Kingdom
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Boston, MA: Ticknor, Reed and Fields, 1850. [American Literature] FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE, with an UNRECORDED state of the ads. Octavo (18 x 12cm) pp.[iv]; 322, title page printed in red and black. Earliest state of the text with the following points; 'reduplicate' p.21 l.20. 'characterss' p.41 l.5. 'Catechism' p.132 l.29. 'known of it' p.199 l.4. Publisher's brown cloth binding with gilt titles and blind decoration. Contents clean, rear paper joint cracked, engraved bookplate of Donald S. Tuttle, neat cloth repair to head and tail of spine, light wear to corners. Faint stamp to endpaper together with contemporary inscription (April 1850). The advertisements in this copy are dated October 1849 (not recorded by Jacob Blanck -most are dated March 1850). Nathaniel Hawthorne's classic investigation of the American mind; a tale of repentance, repression and guilt in seventeenth century Boston. Clark and Pittsburgh [A16]; Bibliography of American Literature [7600].
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.
Read More: Identifying first editions of The Scarlet Letter. A Romance
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
- Adrian Harrington Rare Books
(GB)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 68053
- Title
- The Scarlet Letter. A Romance
- Author
- HAWTHORNE, Nathaniel (1804-1864)
- Book Condition
- Used
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Publisher
- Boston, MA: Ticknor, Reed and Fields, 1850
- Bookseller catalogs
- LITERATURE;
Terms of Sale
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About the Seller
Adrian Harrington Rare Books
Biblio member since 2005
Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent
About Adrian Harrington Rare Books
Adrian Harrington began trading in 1971, as part of Harrington Brothers in the Chelsea Antiques Market on London's fashionable King's Road. He moved to Kensington Church Street in 1997, and in 2014 Adrian relocated to the historic Hall's Bookshop in Royal Tunbridge Wells, occupying the first floor of this iconic building near The Pantiles area of the town. Hall's remains on the ground floor offering an exceptional range of quality used books.Adrian Harrington Rare Books deal in a wide selection of literature, modern first editions, leather bound library sets, children's and illustrated books, and fine and rare antiquarian and old books in all fields. We also offer a full and expert bookbinding and restoration service.Award-winning Ian Fleming Bibliographer Jon Gilbert curates our world-class stock of James Bond material, including first edition novels, film posters, original scripts and associated ephemera.We are always interested in buying quality books in our subject areas, from individual titles to complete collections.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Title Page
- A page at the front of a book which may contain the title of the book, any subtitles, the authors, contributors, editors, the...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Cracked
- In reference to a hinge or a book's binding, means that the glue which holds the opposing leaves has allowed them to separate,...
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- Gilt
- The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
- Bookplate
- Highly sought after by some collectors, a book plate is an inscribed or decorative device that identifies the owner, or former...
- 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....
- Octavo
- Another of the terms referring to page or book size, octavo refers to a standard printer's sheet folded four times, producing...
- Tail
- The heel of the spine.
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This Book’s Categories
- Fiction & Literature Fiction by Region American Fiction
- Fiction & Literature Classic Literature
- Fiction & Literature Historical Fiction
- Fiction & Literature Literary Studies Literary Criticism
- Fiction & Literature Modern Fiction
- Fiction & Literature Mystery & Thrillers Mystery
- Children & Juvenile Juvenile & Young Adult Juvenile Fiction & Literature
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