Septimius Felton or The Elixir of Life [First State]
by HAWTHORNE, Nathaniel (1804-1864)
- Used
- first
- Condition
- Fine-
- Seller
-
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Boston: James R. Osgood, 1872. First Edition. Decorative Cloth. Fine-. With a preface by Una Hawthorne. First State (Clark's First Printing, with dropped "I" in "It," l.18, p.42) of Hawthorne's final work, a gothic romance set during the Revolutionary War about a search for the elixir of life. One of only 3000 copies printed. 8vo (172 x 108mm): [4],229,[3,blank, ad leaf]pp. Publisher's decorated blue bold-ribbed moired T cloth (copies were also bound in terra-cotta and green sand-grained C cloth and green and terra-cotta smooth V cloth), front cover and spine decorated in black and lettered in gilt, chocolate coated end papers. Trivial edge wear, slight spine lean, dusty top edge, else an exemplary example. BAL 7638. Grolier Hawthorne 38. Clark A29.2.a. Browne, p. 68. Wright II, 1139. Bleiler (Checklist), p. 96. Bleiler (Guide to Supernatural Fiction) 779. Originally published posthumously in the Atlantic Monthly, taken from an unfinished manuscript discovered by Hawthorne's wife; then in London, where Robert Browning is credited with assisting Hawthorne's daughter, Una, with editing the text. "Although Hawthorne was obviously dissatisfied with Septimius Felton, and modern scholars generally regard it without great enthusiasm, it is a fascinating collection of motifs and involved plot strands in the Romantic Gothic tradition." (Bleiler) The work seems to have inspired H. P. Lovecraft's novella The Dreams in the Witch House. N. B. With few exceptions (always identified), we only stock books in exceptional condition, with dust jackets carefully preserved in archival, removable polypropylene sleeves. All orders are packaged with care and posted promptly. Satisfaction guaranteed. (Fine Editions Ltd is a member of the Independent Online Booksellers Association, and we subscribe to its codes of ethics.).
Reviews
(Log in or Create an Account first!)
Details
- Bookseller
- Fine Editions Ltd (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- BB1844
- Title
- Septimius Felton or The Elixir of Life [First State]
- Author
- HAWTHORNE, Nathaniel (1804-1864)
- Format/Binding
- Decorative Cloth
- Book Condition
- Used - Fine-
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First Edition
- Publisher
- James R. Osgood
- Place of Publication
- Boston
- Date Published
- 1872
- Bookseller catalogs
- XIX CENTURY;
Terms of Sale
Fine Editions Ltd
We guarantee the condition of every book as it's described on the Biblio web sites. If you're dissatisfied with your purchase (Incorrect Book/Not as Described/Damaged) or if the order hasn't arrived, you're eligible for a refund within 30 days of the estimated delivery date. If you have any questions, please contact us and we'll respond within 2 business days.
About the Seller
Fine Editions Ltd
Biblio member since 2005
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
About Fine Editions Ltd
Fine Editions specializes in First Editions of English and American Literature, Landmarks In Science and the History Of Ideas, Natural History and Color-Plate books, Travel and Voyages, and books on Gardening and Landscape Design. Our hallmark is condition: with few exceptions (mostly relating to our antiquarian stock), all books sold are in Near Fine or better conditions and all are highly collectible.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- 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....
- 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...
- First State
- used in book collecting to refer to a book from the earliest run of a first edition, generally distinguished by a change in some...
- 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...
- BAL
- Bibliography of American Literature (commonly abbreviated as BAL in descriptions) is the quintessential reference work for any...