Boston: Ticknor, Reed and Fields, 1852.. viii,[9]-288,12pp. Brown cloth, stamped in gilt and blind. Tiny nicks at crown and toe of spine, early ink name on front free endsheet mirrored slightly on pastedown, a few minor rubs, otherwise a very good copy. First US edition, second printing with signs of the type wear noted by Clark on pages 97 and 108 and in BAL's binding B ('Co.'). The first printing (5090 copies) appeared on 14 July; this second printing (2350 copies) on 12 August. CLARK A20.2.1. BAL 7611. WRIGHT II:1134.

Synopsis

A superb depiction of a utopian community that cannot survive the individual passions of its members. In language that is suggestive and often erotic, Nathaniel Hawthorne tells a tale of failed possibilities and multiple personal betrayals as he explores the contrasts between what his characters espouse and what they actually experience in an 'ideal' community. A theme of unrealized sexual possibilities serves as a counterpoint to the other failures at Blithedale: class and sex distinctions are not eradicated, and communal work on the farm proves personally unrewarding and economically disastrous. Based in part on Hawthorne's own experiences at Brook Farm, an experimental socialist community, The Blithedale Romance is especially timely in light of renewed interest in self-sufficient and other cooperative societies.

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Details

Bookseller: William Reese Company - Literature ABAA-ILAB (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #: WRCLIT88803
Title: THE BLITHEDALE ROMANCE
Author: Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Book Condition: Used
Quantity Available: 1
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Ticknor, Reed and Fields
Place of Publication: Boston
Date Published: 1852.

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William Reese Company - Literature ABAA-ILAB

All material is shipped subject to approval, but notification of return must be made within ten days and returns made in a prompt and conscientious fashion. As our inventory is housed in two locations, queries about availability should be made by e-mail rather than telephone. We do not drop-ship to third parties.

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William Reese Company - Literature ABAA-ILAB

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About William Reese Company - Literature ABAA-ILAB

Since 1975, William Reese Company has served a large international clientele of collectors and private and public institutions in the acquisition of rare books and manuscripts and in collection development.

With a catalogued inventory of over thirty thousand items, and a general inventory of over sixty-five thousand items, we are among the leading specialists in the fields of Americana and world travel, and maintain a large and eclectic inventory of literary first editions and antiquarian books of the 18th through 20th centuries.

We issue frequent, and substantial, catalogues in our fields of specialization.

Glossary

Glossary

Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:

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...
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....
BAL: Bibliography of American Literature (commonly abbreviated as BAL in descriptions) is the quintessential reference work for any...