Rare and Beautiful : The Books of Ruth Lilly Special Collections and Archives


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The George Santayana Collection

George Santayana: The Last Puritan (1935)

Santayana's only work of fiction, The Last Puritan deals with the "Genteel" tradition in America, a cultural and literary convention which subconsciously defines and limits the subject matter about which most American novelists are willing to write. Santayana traces the psychological root of this set of taboos back to Calvinism during the early Puritan settlements.

The novel, recounting the life of a New England man struggling to enjoy life in spite of the inhibition and guilt of conscience which Santayana characterizes as typical American genteelism, was a best-seller and even a Book-of-the-Month Club selection. The copy shown is a first edition signed by the author.

Cover and author's autograph from George Santayana: The Last Puritan (1935)
Cover and inscription of George Santayana: The Last Puritan (1935)
George Santayana: The Last Puritan (1935)

 

 

Autograph of George Santayana (1863-1952)


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Updated: 27 April 2004, RKB
Comments: speccoll@iupui.edu
URL: http://www.ulib.iupui.edu/special/digproj/rarebooks/santayana_lp.html

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