Books

Edinburgh and London: William Blackwood and Sons, 1861. Near fine.. First edition of Eliot's third novel, a fable in realist dress, praised by some as the greatest of her works. The idea for Eliot's only one-volume novel came "quite suddenly, as a sort of legendary tale" suggested by her childhood memory of seeing a weaver (as recounted in a letter to her publisher). By degrees she "became inclined to a more realistic treatment," though a kernel of fantasy remains under the careful working-out of ethical and material realities. Received by one contemporary critic as "boorish twaddle," SILAS MARNER has also been hailed as "the most flawless of George Eliot's works" (Joan Bennett). A lovely copy of one of very few 19th-century novels to inspire both a Steve Martin comedy and an episode of PBS's Wishbone (A SIMPLE TWIST OF FATE and "Golden Retrieved," respectively). 7.5'' x 5''. Original embossed russet cloth, gilt-stamped spine. Binding A (Carter). Most leaves unopened.…

'Silas Marner', published in 1861, tells the story of a reclusive weaver, who finds redemption and purpose after adopting an orphaned girl.