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Sister Carrie

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Sister Carrie

by DREISER, Theodore

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Sherman Oaks, California, United States
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About This Item

New York: Doubleday, Page & Co, 1900. FIRST EDITION. Original publisher's red cloth with title in borders on the front board, a bit worn. Preserved in a half-morocco clamshell box with gilt decorated spine. Bookplate of Howard Roosa on the front paste-down. First edition of Dreiser's story of a young girl's move to the big city and her subsequent rise to fame as she pursues her own "American dream." The book was only published at the fraught urging of Dreiser, as even his wife found the content too sordid. Though less than five hundred copies were initially sold (out of a first run of 1008), it is now considered one of the greatest of all American urban novels.

Dreiser (1871-1945) is one of the most recognizable members of the literary movement known as Naturalism. He was often forced to battle against censorship, as his subject matter was likely to offend authorities and regularly challenged popular standards of acceptable judgment. His writing frequently explores the tensions between desire, ambition, and social mores.

Synopsis

Journalist-turned-author Theodore Dreiser’s novel Sister Carrie, which some consider to be the “greatest of all American urban novels,” is the quintessential country-mouse-in-the-city story, only more… risqué. The novel tells the story of Caroline “Sister Carrie” Meeber, a young girl from rural Wisconsin who moves to Chicago with hopes of becoming a star. Carrie first stays with her older sister and her husband, but she soon becomes involved with a married man and a series of other morally questionable decisions follow. While Carrie may sound obviously blinded by her dreams of a glamorous future — and some may argue that’s because she is — Dreiser chose to present her character and others with a focus on human instinct as opposed to judgment, making it an early work of the naturalist movement. As one might expect, Dreiser had a difficult time finding and securing a publisher for Sister Carrie. After the manuscript had already been rejected twice, Doubleday, Page’s Frank Norris, author of the naturalistic novel McTeague, offered Dreiser a contract for the publication. This resulted in some upset within the publishing house — primarily due to book’s “lack of morality” — and Doubleday, Page tried to back out of the deal. Dreiser demanded that the contract be fulfilled and Doubleday published 1,008 copies in November 1900. However, the novel was perhaps not as thoroughly publicized as it could have been. Just 465 copies actually sold (not including the 129 that were sent out for reviews). The remaining 423 copies were later turned over to a remainder house. Unsurprisingly, Sister Carrie received negative response shortly after publication. Beyond the novel’s general sexual content and overall pessimistic tone, critics of the time took issue with the idea of Carrie engaging in illicit sexual relationships without suffering any consequences. Also unsurprisingly, Sister Carrie is another example of a masterpiece that could only be appreciated with time. In his 1930 Nobel Prize lecture, Sinclair Lewis compared the impact of Dreiser’s Sister Carrie to the work of Mark Twain and Walt Whitman. Carrie, a film adaptation directed by William Wyler and starring Laurence Olivier and Jennifer Jones, premiered in 1952. Sister Carrie is ranked 33rd on Modern Library’s “100 Best” English-language novels of the 20th century.

Read More: Identifying first editions of Sister Carrie

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Details

Bookseller
Rootenberg Rare Books & Manuscripts US (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #
16150
Title
Sister Carrie
Author
DREISER, Theodore
Book Condition
Used
Quantity Available
1
Edition
FIRST EDITION
Publisher
Doubleday, Page & Co
Place of Publication
New York
Date Published
1900
Keywords
literature, american imprints, 19th century

Terms of Sale

Rootenberg Rare Books & Manuscripts

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About the Seller

Rootenberg Rare Books & Manuscripts

Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Biblio member since 2009
Sherman Oaks, California

About Rootenberg Rare Books & Manuscripts

Founded in 1970, Rootenberg Rare Books has served a large international clientele of collectors as well as private and public institutions in the acquisition of rare books and manuscripts, and in collection development. We are among the leading specialists in the fields of science, medicine, technology and natural history. We also maintain high quality rare books and manuscripts in diverse subjects including travel and exploration, literary classics, economics and philosophy, Americana, and modern first editions, many inscribed. Our expertise and familiarity with these subjects allows us to acquire and house major collections in these fields. We are dedicated to our customer's specific needs, and look forward to developing long term relationships by keeping you informed about significant materials in your areas of interest. Rootenberg Rare Books consists of three generations: grandmother, father and daughter, and is located minutes from West Los Angeles, near UCLA and the Getty, as well as a second location in Durham, North Carolina. We always welcome visitors, though appointments are suggested. We occasionally issue finely printed and illustrated catalogues as well as specialized subject lists, and are constantly adding existing and new material to our website. We exhibit at several national and international book fairs during the year, represent clients at auction and offer appraisal and other professional services. We are always interested in purchasing single items or entire collections, and would be pleased to consider any materials you wish to sell. Special requests and specific wants will be given particular attention. We are always available, via phone, fax or email, to answer questions, search for a specific title, or provide information on our inventory.

Glossary

Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:

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...
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...
Bookplate
Highly sought after by some collectors, a book plate is an inscribed or decorative device that identifies the owner, or former...
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....
Paste-down
The paste-down is the portion of the endpaper that is glued to the inner boards of a hardback book. The paste-down forms an...
Acceptable
A non-traditional book condition description that generally refers to a book in readable condition, although no standard exists...
Clamshell Box
A protective box designed for storing and preserving a bound book or loose sheets. A clamshell box is hinged on one side, with...

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