Boston: Ticknor and Fields, 1860. First edition, mixed issue, with contents preceding preface and with on instead of for on p. 225 line 22, with ads dated March in vol. I, but without "Conclusion" in vol. II. 2 vols. 12mo. Original brown cloth, minor rubbing at head and base of spines, else near fine. First edition, mixed issue, with contents preceding preface and with on instead of for on p. 225 line 22, with ads dated March in vol. I, but without "Conclusion" in vol. II. 2 vols. 12mo. BAL 7621

Synopsis

The fragility-and the durability-of human life and art dominate this story of American expatriates in Italy in the mid-nineteenth century. Befriended by Donatello, a young Italian with the classical grace of the "Marble Faun," Miriam, Hilda, and Kenyon find their pursuit of art taking a sinister turn as Miriam's unhappy past precipitates the present into tragedy. Hawthorne's 'International Novel' dramatizes the confrontation of the Old World and the New and the uncertain relationship between the 'authentic' and the 'fake' in life as in art. The author's evocative descriptions of classic sites made The Marble Faun a favorite guidebook to Rome for Victorian tourists, but this richly ambiguous symbolic romance is also the story of a murder, and a parable of the Fall of Man. As the characters find their civilized existence disrupted by the awful consequences of impulse, Hawthorne leads his readers to question the value of Art and Culture and addresses the great evolutionary debate which was beginning to shake Victorian society.

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Details

Bookseller: James Cummins Bookseller (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #: 308458
Title: The Marble Faun: or, The Romance of Monte Beni
Author: Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Format/Binding: 2 vols. 12mo
Book Condition: Used - Original brown cloth, minor rubbing at head and base of spines, else near fine
Quantity Available: 1
Edition: First edition, mixed issue, with contents preceding preface and
Publisher: Ticknor and Fields
Place of Publication: Boston
Date Published: 1860
Keywords: American | Incompletes | Nathaniel Hawthorne
Bookseller catalogs: Literature;

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James Cummins Bookseller

All items, as usual, are guaranteed as described and are returnable within 30 days if not as described. Within the United States, all books are shipped UPS unless otherwise requested (please provide a street address). Overseas orders should specify shipping preference. All postage is extra. New clients are requested to send remittance with your orders. Libraries may apply for deferred billing. All New York and New Jersey residents must add the appropriate sales tax. We accept American Express, Master Card, and Visa. All items are subject to prior sale; prices are subject to change.

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James Cummins Bookseller

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About James Cummins Bookseller

Founded in 1978 by James Cummins, the firm has grown to include two New Jersey locations as well as the main store at 699 Madison Avenue (between 62nd and 63rd Streets) in New York City.Hours: Monday - Friday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (During July & August, until 4:00 p.m. on Fridays.)The Madison Avenue store is a seventh-floor oasis for book-lovers, a quiet and pleasantly furnished book room with a carefully chosen, expertly catalogued and broad-based selection of fine and rare books, autographs, manuscripts, and works of art. We have built notable private collections for American and international clients. Our stock is always changing, and our steady input from private buying and public auctions assures our clients of new surprises (and temptations!) at each visit. Our stock covers a wide range of collecting interests, with particular emphasis in the following fields: British and American Literature, Sporting Books, Private Press and Illustrated Books, 19th-Century Color Plate Books, Americana, Travel, Sets and Fine Bindings, History, and Authors' Manuscripts and Letters. Our catalogued inventory exceeds 50,000 titles, much of which can be searched on the internet. In addition, our New Jersey warehouse contains over 400,000 books in all subject areas. We might have the books you're looking for.

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Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:

12mo: A duodecimo is a book approximately 7 by 4.5 inches in size, or similar in size to a contemporary mass market paperback. Also...
Rubbing: Abrasion or wear to the surface. Usually used in reference to a book's boards or dust-jacket.
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...
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...
Fine: A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...