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The Scarlet Letter
by Hawthorne, Nathaniel
- Used
- Hardcover
- Condition
- Fair Condition
- Seller
-
Roslindale, Massachusetts, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Boston: Ticknor, Reed, and Fields, 1850. First Edition. Hardcover. Fair Condition. Original brown cloth, worn, hinges cracked, wear and loss to cloth at spine ends and edges, slight dampstaining to covers. A bit shaken, scattered mostly minor foxing and browning, old signature to title. A bit rough, but a complete and unsophisticated copy of the first edition with the publisher's list dated March 1, 1850 bound first. Though sometimes described as having points of issue, there is really just a first and a second edition of The Scarlet Letter. 4 page list, iv, 322, blank.
BAL 7600. Provenance: Ruth and Chester Greenough (bookplate); Chester was a Dean at Harvard; Greenough Hall is named after him. Size: Octavo (8vo). Quantity Available: 1. Shipped Weight: Under 1 kilo. Category: Literature & Literary; Inventory No: 047969.
BAL 7600. Provenance: Ruth and Chester Greenough (bookplate); Chester was a Dean at Harvard; Greenough Hall is named after him. Size: Octavo (8vo). Quantity Available: 1. Shipped Weight: Under 1 kilo. Category: Literature & Literary; Inventory No: 047969.
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
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
- Pazzo Books
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 047969
- Title
- The Scarlet Letter
- Author
- Hawthorne, Nathaniel
- Format/Binding
- Hardcover
- Book Condition
- Used - Fair Condition
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First Edition
- Publisher
- Ticknor, Reed, and Fields
- Place of Publication
- Boston
- Date Published
- 1850
- Keywords
- Literature & Literary; NOISBN
Terms of Sale
Pazzo Books
Returns accepted for any reason within 30 days of shipment - full refund less shipping. If we have made a mistake, we will pay shipping both ways. Institutions billed according to their requirements.
About the Seller
Pazzo Books
Biblio member since 2003
Roslindale, Massachusetts
About Pazzo Books
For years an open shop in the Boston neighborhoods of Roslindale and West Roxbury, now by appointment only and back in Roslindale. We carry a range of rare and out of print books with strengths in literature, cookery and early printing. We are members of the ABAA and ILAB.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Shaken
- A hardcover in which the text block is loose, but still attached to the binding.
- BAL
- Bibliography of American Literature (commonly abbreviated as BAL in descriptions) is the quintessential reference work for any...
- 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....
- Points of Issue
- Points are physical attributes that are specific to a printing or edition of a book, such as a typo on a specific page that was...
- Edges
- The collective of the top, fore and bottom edges of the text block of the book, being that part of the edges of the pages of a...
- 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...
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- Cracked
- In reference to a hinge or a book's binding, means that the glue which holds the opposing leaves has allowed them to separate,...
- Fair
- is a worn book that has complete text pages (including those with maps or plates) but may lack endpapers, half-title, etc....
- Octavo
- Another of the terms referring to page or book size, octavo refers to a standard printer's sheet folded four times, producing...
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
The Importance of Dust Jackets
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