The Scarlet Letter
by Nathaniel Hawthorne
- Used
- Paperback
- first
- Condition
- Near Fine (ABOVE AVERAGE)/No Jacket
- ISBN 10
- 014062080X
- ISBN 13
- 9780140620801
- Seller
-
Peter Tavy, United Kingdom
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
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
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
- Bookfarm (GB)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 1001688
- Title
- The Scarlet Letter
- Author
- Nathaniel Hawthorne
- Illustrator
- Not Illustrated
- Format/Binding
- Paperback
- Book Condition
- Used - Near Fine (ABOVE AVERAGE)
- Jacket Condition
- No Jacket
- Edition
- This is a First Edition of This Edition
- ISBN 10
- 014062080X
- ISBN 13
- 9780140620801
- Publisher
- Penguin
- Place of Publication
- London
- Date Published
- 1994
- Keywords
- PRYNNE, HESTER (FICTITIOUS CHARACTER)_FICTION AMERICAN
- Size
- 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾"
Terms of Sale
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Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Inscribed
- When a book is described as being inscribed, it indicates that a short note written by the author or a previous owner has been...
- 12mo
- A duodecimo is a book approximately 7 by 4.5 inches in size, or similar in size to a contemporary mass market paperback. Also...
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- Jacket
- Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...
- 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...
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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