London: Everyman's Library, 1997. Book. Fine. Hardcover. First Edition Thus. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall. Hardcover, small octavo bound in deep burgundy cloth and publisher's dust-jacket. 508 pages. Ribbon marker bound in. Introduction by Grey Gowrie. Everyman's Library no, 230. Includes a select bibliography, a chronology and a note on the text. First edition thus, first printing in the Everyman's Library (1997). No previous ownership marks. A clean, square, fresh unmarked and like new copy. Fine in a fine dust-jacket. .

Synopsis

Set in turn-of-the-century London, Henry James’ The Wings of the Dove tells the story of Mildred “Milly” Theale, an orphaned American heiress, and the mixed motives of those around her, namely Kate Croy. Kate is a scheming young woman in love with Merton Densher, a man too poor to offer her a “fashionable marriage.” Thus, she conspires to push Merton towards Milly, who has an unnamed fatal illness, with the hope of eventually enhancing her lover’s financial status. Like much of James’ earlier works, The Wings of the Dove involves the universal themes of selfishness, greed, conspiracy, love, and betrayal. It also addresses the Victorian tradition and pitches American innocence against European cunning. However, the novel, written later in the author’s life, deals with deeper psychological aspects than his earlier works. While it does include social commentary, the central conflict of the novel regards moral character as opposed to cultural background. There have been many adaptations of The Wings of the Dove. Perhaps most notable is director Iain Softley’s 1997 film version starring Alison Elliott as Milly Theale, Helena Bonham Carter as Kate Croy, and Linus Roache as Merton Densher. The film was a box office hit that won several prizes and award nominations, including Bonham Carter’s Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. The Wings of the Dove is ranked 26th on Modern Library's list of the “100 Best” English-language novels of the 20th century.

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Details

Bookseller: Great Expectations Rare Books (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #: 019810
Title: The Wings of the Dove
Author: James, Henry
Format/Binding: Hardcover
Book Condition: Used - Fine
Jacket Condition: Fine
Edition: First Edition Thus
ISBN 10: 1857152301
ISBN 13: 9781857152302
Publisher: Everyman's Library
Place of Publication: London
Date Published: 1997
Keywords: Everyman's Library, Literature
Size: 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall

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New: A new book is a book previously not circulated to a buyer. Although a new book is typically free of any faults or defects, "new"...
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...
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Octavo: Another of the terms referring to page or book size, octavo refers to a standard printer's sheet folded four times, producing...
Cloth: "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...