The Marble Faun or the Romance of Monte Beni
Zurich: The Limited Editions Club, 1931. First Edition. Limited Edition of 1,500 numbered copies, of which this is number 86. Signed by the illustrator, Carl Strauss on the limitation page. Two octavos, publisher's original semi limp brown cloth with gilt lettered spine labels. Publisher's original slipcase. Top edges gilt. The Marble Faun; or, The Romance of Monte Beni is a semi-gothic novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne, first published in 1860, and widely regarded as his last major work of fiction. Set in Italy and richly atmospheric, the novel follows four main characters—two American artists and two mysterious Europeans—as they navigate themes of innocence, sin, art, and moral ambiguity amidst the ruins and Renaissance beauty of Rome. The titular "faun," Donatello, is a seemingly carefree Italian nobleman whose resemblance to an ancient statue masks a darker human complexity. Blending psychological depth with allegorical elements, Hawthorne explores the tension between the ideal and the real, drawing on classical and religious imagery to question the nature of guilt and redemption. The Marble Faun remains a key work in American Romantic literature and is notable for its evocative descriptions and philosophical undercurrents. Very minimal rubbing, in very good + to near fine condition. Item #47
Price: $50.00