Hawthorne Nathaniel
Nathaniel Hawthorne Signed First Printing "The Blithedale Romance", 1852
Boston: Ticknor and Fields 1852. First Edition, First Issue, contains advertisements dated July 1852 in the preliminaries, and the copyright information on title page verso is set between lines four and six of the preface. Contemporary rebinding in three quarter black calf leather, with richly gilt spines and raised bands. Marble patterned end papers. 4.75" x 7.25". An outstanding Nathanial Hawthorne signature as customs inspector  has been professionally inlaid to the front fly leaf, "Examined - / Nath Hawthorne / Surveyor".  Leather rubbed with light edgewear to the top/bottom of spine, and a surface spot worn off along mid-spine impacting the author's name. Top edge in full vibrant gilt.
A lovely example of this scarce title, unique with the inlaid signature.
The Blithedale Romance is Nathaniel Hawthorne's third major romance. In Hawthorne, Henry James called it "the lightest, the brightest, the liveliest" of Hawthorne's "unhumorous fictions." A great deal of modern criticism centers around the relation between fiction and non-fiction as well. Critics believe that when viewed as representative of Hawthorne's own life and beliefs, "The Blithedale Romance" provides insight into the mind of the author. According to critics, the novel can be seen as a reflection of the religious conflict Hawthorne faced throughout his life. Irving Howe summarizes this religious conflict, stating, "Throughout his life Hawthorne was caught up in what we would call a crisis of religious belief. His acute moral sense had been largely detached from the traditional context of orthodox faith, but it had found little else in which to thrive"

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