Books

Boston: Ticknor & Fields, 1860. First edition, mixed issue, of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s expatriate romance, inspired by his encounter with the Faun of Praxiteles in Rome. The novel follows three American artists in Italy who become entangled with the enigmatic Donatello, Count of Monte Beni: “There was an indefinable characteristic about Donatello that set him outside of rules.” This copy accords, in collation and pagination, with Blanck’s first printing. First issue points: the preface precedes the table of contents in Volume I; “on” is uncorrected to “for” on page 225, line 22, of Volume I; no “Conclusion” in Volume II. Second issue points: page ix of Volume I and page 197 of Volume II unsigned. Second state of the publisher’s catalog, dated March 1860. BAL 7621. A very good copy of a Gothic classic. Two volumes, measuring 7 x 4.5 inches: xiv, 15-283, [5], 16; 284, [4]. Original full brown ribbed cloth ruled and decorated in blind, spines lettered in gilt,…

The Marble Faun is a novel by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne, originally published in 1860. The book explores themes of guilt, redemption, and the human condition through the lives of four characters living in 19th-century Rome. 'The Marble Faun' is considered an important work in Hawthorne's literary career, as it delves deeply into the complexities of morality, art, and the consequences of sin.