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The Scarlet Letter (Canon Classics Worldview Edition)
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The Scarlet Letter (Canon Classics Worldview Edition) Paperback - 2019

by Nathaniel Hawthorne; Introduction by Douglas Wilson


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.

From the publisher

" The Scarlet Letter is so terrible in its pictures of diseased human nature as to produce most questionable delight. The reader's interest never flags for a moment."- Anthony Trollope


"Everyone thinks they know what the Puritans were like, and a big part of the reason why they think they know this can be found in this book, The Scarlet Letter ." -From Douglas Wilson's Introduction


Hester Prynne is an adulteress, and the bright red 'A' sewed on to her dress forever separates her from the other sad-colored inhabitants of her New England hometown. But no one else knows who the father of Hester's pixie-like child is-and that sordid mystery eats at the townspeople. Months stretch into years for the uncomplaining and dignified Hester, providing some of her begrudging neighbors with ample opportunity for prying, hypocrisy, contempt, and a whole welter of the darkest of human sins, including an all-consuming desire for revenge.


This Canon Classic is a novel of two intense natures, unflinchingly grim and melancholic yet capable of passionate and unrestrained emotion. The Canon Classics series presents the most definitive works of Western literature in a colorful, well-crafted, and affordable way. Unlike many other thrift editions, our classics are printed on thicker text stock and feature individualized designs that prioritize readability by means of proper margins, leading, characters per line, font, trim size, etc. Each book's materials and layout combine to make the classics a simple and striking addition to classrooms and homes, ideal for introducing the best of literary culture and human experience to the next generation.


This Worldview Edition features an introduction divided into sections on The World Around, About the Author, What Other Notables Said, Setting, Characters, & Plot Summary, Worldview Analysis, and 21 Discussion Questions & Answers.

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 (Canon Classics Worldview Edition)
  • Author Nathaniel Hawthorne; Introduction by Douglas Wilson
  • Binding Paperback
  • Pages 270
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Canon Press
  • Date 2019-12-01
  • ISBN 9781591281986 / 1591281989
  • Weight 0.65 lbs (0.29 kg)
  • Dimensions 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.7 in (21.34 x 13.72 x 1.78 cm)
  • Ages 13 to 18 years
  • Grade levels 8 - 13
  • Reading level 410
  • Themes
    • Sex & Gender: Feminine
  • Library of Congress subjects Triangles (Interpersonal relations), Puritans
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 2019053177
  • Dewey Decimal Code 813.3
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The Scarlet Letter (Worldview Edition) (Canon Classics)
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The Scarlet Letter (Worldview Edition) (Canon Classics)

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The Scarlet Letter (Worldview Edition) (Canon Classics)
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The Scarlet Letter (Worldview Edition) (Canon Classics)

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The Scarlet Letter (Worldview Edition) (Canon Classics)
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The Scarlet Letter (Worldview Edition) (Canon Classics)

by Hawthorne, Nathaniel; Wilson, Douglas [Contributor]

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1591281989
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