Boston, Ticknor, Reed, and Fields, 1852., 1852. First American edition, binding A, first issue. Original brown cloth stamped in gilt on the spine and blind on the covers; yellow coated endpapers. Good (dampstain to title page and a few others; corners bumped; spine ends chipped). 288 pages + 4 pages of publisher's advertisements at the front, dated April, 1852. Neat ink signature on the upper right corner of the title page. A scarce Hawthorne title, in first issue format. BAL 7611. Clark A20.2a.. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Good/No Jacket.

Synopsis

A superb depiction of a utopian community that cannot survive the individual passions of its members. In language that is suggestive and often erotic, Nathaniel Hawthorne tells a tale of failed possibilities and multiple personal betrayals as he explores the contrasts between what his characters espouse and what they actually experience in an 'ideal' community. A theme of unrealized sexual possibilities serves as a counterpoint to the other failures at Blithedale: class and sex distinctions are not eradicated, and communal work on the farm proves personally unrewarding and economically disastrous. Based in part on Hawthorne's own experiences at Brook Farm, an experimental socialist community, The Blithedale Romance is especially timely in light of renewed interest in self-sufficient and other cooperative societies.

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Details

Bookseller: Houle Rare Books & Autographs (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #: 228782
Title: The Blithedale Romance
Author: HAWTHORNE, Nathaniel
Book Condition: Used
Edition: 1st Edition
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Boston, Ticknor, Reed, and Fields, 1852.
Date Published: 1852
Bookseller catalogs: LITERATURE;

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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...
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...
Jacket: Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...
BAL: Bibliography of American Literature (commonly abbreviated as BAL in descriptions) is the quintessential reference work for any...
Title Page: A page at the front of a book which may contain the title of the book, any subtitles, the authors, contributors, editors, the...