The Scarlet Letter
by HAWTHORNE, NATHANIEL
- Used
- Fine
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- Fine
- Seller
-
Palm Springs, California, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Boston: Ticknor, Reed, and Fields, 1850. First edition. Hardcover. Fine. Boston: Ticknor, Reed, and Fields, 1850. Fine. 8vo, rebound in full red levant (large grain) morocco gilt with central letter A stamped in gilt on front cover within ruled border, spine gilt in compartments, gilt turn-ins and marbled endpapers, all edges gilt, by Bayntun Riviere; original brown cloth and advertisements dated March 1st bound in rear; the misprint "reduplicate" for "repudiate" at line 20 page 21; cloth slipcase. first edition, first issue. Contents fresh, no foxing. A beautiful book. BAL 7601.
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
- Blue Sky Rare Books
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 3380
- Title
- The Scarlet Letter
- Author
- HAWTHORNE, NATHANIEL
- Format/Binding
- Hardcover
- Book Condition
- Used - Fine
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First edition
- Publisher
- Ticknor, Reed, and Fields
- Place of Publication
- Boston
- Date Published
- 1850
Terms of Sale
Blue Sky Rare Books
30 day return guarantee, with full refund including original shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged.
About the Seller
Blue Sky Rare Books
Biblio member since 2015
Palm Springs, California
About Blue Sky Rare Books
Online bookseller.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Rebound
- A book in which the pages have been bound into a covering replacing the original covering issued by the publisher.
- BAL
- Bibliography of American Literature (commonly abbreviated as BAL in descriptions) is the quintessential reference work for any...
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- 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...
- 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....
- 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...
- 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...
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
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