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The Scarlet Letter: A Romance Hardcover - 1986

by Nathaniel Hawthorne; Barry Moser (Illustrator)


About this book

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.

First Edition Identification

First edition published by Ticknor, Reeds and Fields, in Boston 1850. Main first edition marker is "reduplicate" instead of "repudiate" on page 21 Four page publisher's adverts at front dated March 1, 1850 and preceding the free end paper. The brown T-cloth favored by Ticknor & Fields is famous for becoming brittle with age, and cracking or fraying at the spine tips. First editions can run upwards of $20,000.

The second edition adds a preface and has a Metcalf imprint on verso of title-page. The third printing has the same preface but has a Hobart & Robbins imprint on verso of title-page.

Details

  • Title The Scarlet Letter: A Romance
  • Author Nathaniel Hawthorne; Barry Moser (Illustrator)
  • Binding Hardcover
  • Edition First Edition
  • Pages 181
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt P, New York
  • Date 1986
  • Illustrated Yes
  • ISBN 9780151795680 / 0151795681
  • Weight 2.1 lbs (0.95 kg)
  • Reading level 410
  • Library of Congress subjects Historical fiction, Psychological fiction
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 86012034
  • Dewey Decimal Code FIC
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The Scarlet Letter

by Hawthorne, Nathanial

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780151795680 / 0151795681
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The Scarlet Letter

by Hawthorne, Nathanial

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
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The Scarlet Letter: A Romance

by Hawthorne, Nathaniel

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780151795680 / 0151795681
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Houghton Mifflin Harcourt P, 1986. Hardcover. Acceptable. Missing dust jacket; Readable copy. Pages may have considerable notes/highlighting. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
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The Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet Letter

by Nathaniel Hawthorne

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
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Harcourt Trade Publishers, 1986. Hardcover. Good. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
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The Scarlet Letter: A Romance

by Nathaniel Hawthorne

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  • Hardcover
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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780151795680 / 0151795681
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The Scarlet Letter: A Romance
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The Scarlet Letter: A Romance

by Hawthorne, Nathaniel

  • Used
  • Fine
  • Hardcover
  • first
Condition
Used - Fine
Edition
First Edition
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780151795680 / 0151795681
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N Y: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1986. First Edition. Hard Cover. Fine/Very Good. XL. Moser, Barry. A clean, unmarked book with a tight binding. 181 pages. Wood engravings by Barry Moser. Small tear and edge wear to dust jacket. Remainder mark.
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The Scarlet Letter, A Romance

by Nathaniel Hawthorne

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  • Hardcover
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Condition
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First Edition Stated
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780151795680 / 0151795681
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New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1984. First Edition Stated . Hardcover. Near Fine/Near Fine. Barry Moser. Woodcut illustrations by Barry Moser. Introduction by Alexander Eliot. Not for resale stamped on bottom of text block otherwise fine.
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The Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet Letter

by Hawthorne, Nathaniel

  • Used
  • Hardcover
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Condition
Used - Very Good in Very Good DJ
Edition
First edition thus
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780151795680 / 0151795681
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Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1986. First edition thus. Hardcover. Very Good in Very Good DJ. First printing thus, very good + hardcover shows a remainder mark to bottom page edges and bumping to top corners of covers, in very good dust jacket that shows sticker shadow at rear panel over isbn, bit of soiling, light exposure toning along spine and some other very light trace wear. 181 pages with illustrations by Barry Moser. Still an attractive copy of this reprinting of the classic novel.
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The Scarlet Letter

by Nathaniel Hawthorne

  • Used
  • Hardcover
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Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780151795680 / 0151795681
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Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, November 1986. Hardcover. VG/Very Good. used hardcover in a dust jacket. jacket is slightly worn about the edges, but with no tears and not price clipped. pages and binding are clean, straight and tight. there are no marks to the text or other serious flaws.
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The Scarlet Letter: A Romance

by Nathaniel Hawthorne

  • Used
  • near fine
  • Hardcover
  • first
Condition
Used - Near Fine
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780151795680 / 0151795681
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Wake Forest , North Carolina, United States
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First thus. Square spine, clean crisp pages, no writing or marks, no folded page corners. Dust jacket clean, has some loss on top spine end. Remainder mark on bottom page edge.
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