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The Scarlet Letter
by Hawthorne, Nathaniel
- Used
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
CHESTER, Connecticut, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Boston: Ticknor, Reed and Fields, 1850. First edition. Original brown cloth, stamped in gilt and blind. Spine dull, frayed at the ends, slight wear to corners, hinges trifle loose; internally mostly fresh and clean. March 1850 catalogue. BAL 7600.
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
- Thomas A Goldwasser Rare Books
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 24044
- Title
- The Scarlet Letter
- Author
- Hawthorne, Nathaniel
- Book Condition
- Used
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First edition
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Publisher
- Ticknor, Reed and Fields
- Place of Publication
- Boston
- Date Published
- 1850
- Keywords
- , , , ,
- Bookseller catalogs
- English and American literature;
Terms of Sale
Thomas A Goldwasser Rare Books
We accept checks (U.S. funds on a U.S. bank only), money orders, wire transfers (please contact us for details), major credit cards, Paypal. Libraries and known customers may be billed. All items are guaranteed to be as described. Member, Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America, International League of Antiquarian Booksellers, Professional Autograph Dealers Association.
About the Seller
Thomas A Goldwasser Rare Books
Biblio member since 2005
CHESTER, Connecticut
About Thomas A Goldwasser Rare Books
Specialized dealer in rare books and manuscripts, since 1975.
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...
- 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...
- 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....
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
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