Novels of the Sisters Bronte (in 12 vols)
by Bronte, Charlotte, Emily, and Anne
- Used
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
Pasadena, California, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Edinburgh: John Grant, 1924. Thornton Edition. Twelve octavo volumes (8 1/8 x 5 1/2 inches; 205 x 140 mm.). Handsomely bound ca. 1960 by [Rivière] for Henry Sotheran in three-quarter red calf over red cloth boards ruled in blind. Spines decoratively tooled in gilt in compartments, two blue and green morocco lettering labels, top edge gilt, marbled endpapers. Frontispieces and plates. Half-titles and title-pages printed in red and black. Seven of the green spine labels are faded, otherwise near fine.
The Thornton Edition was first published in 1905, named for the village on the outskirts of Bradford, West Yorkshire best known as being the birthplace of the Brontës. The moorlands of that area "had a profound influence on the writing of Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Bronte...at their home the children created a rich imaginary world. Any books that came their way were eagerly devoured, and they produced their own books as well" (Bronte Society). As the sisters rose to adulthood, their novels began to focus on the complex emotional lives of women from all walks of life -- from orphans to governesses to heiresses -- but with the greatest emphasis on those whose educations and livelihoods most reflected their own. With clear-sightedness, they used their knowledge of gendered, economic, and social constraints to develop their best material. Again, the moorlands of their upbringing affected their writing. Anne's work was like a still day before a storm. And "if Charlotte's novels keep up a stiff wind, Emily's one novel is a thunderstorm. Their characters...have such a gust of life that they transcend reality" (Dean). Publishing under gender neutral pseudonyms of Currer Bell, Ellis Bell, and Acton Bell, the three talented authors were able to release their works to the public without the kind of criticism that fell on women of the time. It was with the publication of Anne's second novel, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, that the women were forced to reveal their true identities when an unscrupulous publisher attempted to use Currer Bell's name to sell another, less successful author's works. The literary fame that came with the Brontes' revelation led only to a shortlived happiness, as all three died at early ages" (Bronte Society).
The Thornton Edition was first published in 1905, named for the village on the outskirts of Bradford, West Yorkshire best known as being the birthplace of the Brontës. The moorlands of that area "had a profound influence on the writing of Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Bronte...at their home the children created a rich imaginary world. Any books that came their way were eagerly devoured, and they produced their own books as well" (Bronte Society). As the sisters rose to adulthood, their novels began to focus on the complex emotional lives of women from all walks of life -- from orphans to governesses to heiresses -- but with the greatest emphasis on those whose educations and livelihoods most reflected their own. With clear-sightedness, they used their knowledge of gendered, economic, and social constraints to develop their best material. Again, the moorlands of their upbringing affected their writing. Anne's work was like a still day before a storm. And "if Charlotte's novels keep up a stiff wind, Emily's one novel is a thunderstorm. Their characters...have such a gust of life that they transcend reality" (Dean). Publishing under gender neutral pseudonyms of Currer Bell, Ellis Bell, and Acton Bell, the three talented authors were able to release their works to the public without the kind of criticism that fell on women of the time. It was with the publication of Anne's second novel, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, that the women were forced to reveal their true identities when an unscrupulous publisher attempted to use Currer Bell's name to sell another, less successful author's works. The literary fame that came with the Brontes' revelation led only to a shortlived happiness, as all three died at early ages" (Bronte Society).
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Details
- Bookseller
- Whitmore Rare Books (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 3576
- Title
- Novels of the Sisters Bronte (in 12 vols)
- Author
- Bronte, Charlotte, Emily, and Anne
- Book Condition
- Used
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- Thornton Edition
- Publisher
- John Grant
- Place of Publication
- Edinburgh
- Date Published
- 1924
Terms of Sale
Whitmore Rare Books
15 day return guarantee, with full refund if an item arrives damaged or not matching the description.
About the Seller
Whitmore Rare Books
Biblio member since 2009
Pasadena, California
About Whitmore Rare Books
We operate a retail shop in "Old Town" Pasadena open normal business hours Tuesday through Saturday.
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...
- 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...
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- A.N.
- The book is pristine and free of any defects, in the same condition as ...
- Calf
- Calf or calf hide is a common form of leather binding. Calf binding is naturally a light brown but there are ways to treat the...
- 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...
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- Octavo
- Another of the terms referring to page or book size, octavo refers to a standard printer's sheet folded four times, producing...