Record price for book

THE oldest known copy of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter was auctioned for more than €450,000 - a record price for an American 19th-century literary work, Christie’s auction house said.

The pre-sale estimate was between €165,000 and €250,000 for 144 pages of a printed proof of the classic novel. The manuscript was bought by an American book dealer who wanted to remain anonymous, spokeswoman Bendetta Roux said.

The Scarlet Letter tells the tale of Hester Prynne, who is ostracised in Boston during the late 17th century and forced to wear a scarlet letter A on her chest for committing the sin of adultery.