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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. Octavo (18 x 12cm) pp.[iv]; 322, title page printed in red and black. Elegantly bound in full deep red oasis morocco, with black title labels lettered in gilt, raised bands, gilt decoration to spine, marbled endpapers, top edge gilt. 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. Bound without advertisements. Contents clean, exterior as new. A lovely fine copy in an attractive recent leather binding. Nathaniel Hawthorne's classic investigation of the American mind. Clark and Pittsburgh [A16].
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 #
- 53816
- 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:
- New
- A new book is a book previously not circulated to a buyer. Although a new book is typically free of any faults or defects, "new"...
- Raised Band(s)
- Raised bands refer to the ridges that protrude slightly from the spine on leather bound books. The bands are created in the...
- 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...
- Morocco
- Morocco is a style of leather book binding that is usually made with goatskin, as it is durable and easy to dye. (see also...
- 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....
- Top Edge Gilt
- Top edge gilt refers to the practice of applying gold or a gold-like finish to the top of the text block (the edges the pages...
- 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...
- 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...
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- Octavo
- Another of the terms referring to page or book size, octavo refers to a standard printer's sheet folded four times, producing...
Frequently asked questions
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
What is a first edition?
Even if you’re only peripherally aware of book collecting, you’ve doubtless heard the term, first edition, bandied about but you may still be in the dark as to what makes them such a big deal. Learn about first editions and why collectors value them here.
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