HAWTHORNE, Nathaniel.
The Scarlet Letter.
Boston: Ticknor, Reed and Fields , 1850.
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+$500
First Edition of Nathaniel Hawthorne's Classic Novel The Scarlet Letter; Finely Bound by Riviere & Son
First edition of Hawthorne’s masterpiece, one of only 2500 copies printed. Octavo, bound in full morocco by Riviere & Son with gilt titles to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, the letter "A" with gilt-tooled flowers embossed in crimson and gold to the front panel, top edge gilt, gilt turn-ins and inner dentelles. First issue point of misprint on page 21, but without ads. In near fine condition. A lovely example.
"The most memorable and original aspect of The Scarlet Letter lies in Hawthorne's portrait of Hester Prynne, who has been described as "the first true heroine of American fiction", a woman whose experience evokes the biblical fate of Eve. Hawthorne's achievement is to make her passion noble, her defiance heartbreaking and her frailty inspiring. She becomes the archetype of the free-thinking American woman grappling with herself and her sexuality in a cold, patriarchal society" (The Guardian). 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).
The Scarlet Letter.
$4,250.00
Out of Stock
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