Nathaniel Hawthorne : Collected Novels: Fanshawe, The Scarlet Letter, The House of the Seven Gables, The Blithedale Romance, The Marble Faun (Library of America) [Hardcover]

Nathaniel Hawthorne (Author)

Book Description

Series: Library of America | Publication Date: April 15, 1983

Here in one volume are all five of Nathaniel Hawthorne's world-famous novels. Written in a richly suggestive style that seems remarkably contemporary, they are permeated by America's and Hawthorne's own history. "The House of the Seven Gables" moves across 150 years from an ancestral crime condoned by the Puritan theocracy to a new beginning in the bustling and democratic Jacksonian era. Hawthorne's masterpiece, "The Scarlet Letter," is a dramatic allegory of the social consequences of adultery and the subversive force of personal desire in a community of laws. "The Blithedale Romance" explores the perils, which Hawthorne knew at first hand, of living in a utopian community, and the inextricability of political, personal, and sexual desires. "Fanshawe" is an engrossing apprentice work which Hawthorne published anonymously and later sought to suppress. "The Marble Faun," his last finished novel, involves mystery, murder, and romance among American artists in Rome.

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About the Author

Nathaniel Hawthorne was born on July 4, 1804, in Salem, Massachusetts, the son and grandson of proud New England seafarers. He lived in genteel poverty with his widowed mother and two young sisters in a house filled with Puritan ideals and family pride in a prosperous past. His boyhood was, in most respects, pleasant and normal. In 1825 he was graduated from Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine, and he returned to Salem determined to become a writer of short stories. For the next twelve years he was plagued with unhappiness and self-doubts as he struggled to master his craft. He finally secured some small measure of success with the publication of his Twice-Told Tales (1837). His marriage to Sophia Peabody in 1842 was a happy one. The Scarlet Letter (1850), which brought him immediate recognition, was followed by The House of the Seven Gables (1851). After serving four years as the American Consul in Liverpool, England, he traveled in Italy; he returned home to Massachusetts in 1860. Depressed, weary of writing, and failing in health, he died on May 19, 1864, at Plymouth, New Hampshire.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Hardcover: 1272 pages
• Publisher: Library of America; Reprint edition (April 15, 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0940450089
• ISBN-13: 978-0940450080
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #678,424 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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30 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From a high school English teacher's P.O.V., October 29, 2005

By 

Richard S. Friedline - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nathaniel Hawthorne : Collected Novels: Fanshawe, The Scarlet Letter, The House of the Seven Gables, The Blithedale Romance, The Marble Faun (Library of America) (Hardcover)

Please, whatever you do, don't categorize Hawthorne's (or any writer's) work as a long-winded relic from some gradeschool lit class. True, we English teachers are about the only folks left trying to keep this literature alive, but we do it because it's so worth preserving. I'll admit we do a disservice to Hawthorne by "forcing" young people to read it. Often a lack of maturity in the reader only translates to resentment for the writer, which in Hawthorne's case is a real shame. So you were "bored" by The Scarlet Letter when you were 15 years old... What a surprise... Has anything about you changed since then? Have you matured? Is there any possibility that you are more prepared today, as a thirty year old, to read, understand and appreciate Hawthorne's stories (and his brilliant style) than you were fifteen years ago? Give yourself some credit and give these great writers another try. You may be surprised at how deeply Hawthorne's insights into human nature cut after experiencing more of life yourself.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great literature., October 26, 2007

By 

the truth is out there - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nathaniel Hawthorne : Collected Novels: Fanshawe, The Scarlet Letter, The House of the Seven Gables, The Blithedale Romance, The Marble Faun (Library of America) (Hardcover)

Unlike other reviews, this is not a review of just "The Scarlet Letter," but the entire Library of America volume. Here are all five of Hawthorne's completed novels in one volume, and they are true treasures of American literature. "Fanshawe" is an early experiment and a simple story that is more interesting as a part of Hawthorne's development as a writer than a great work in itself. Next is the famous "Scarlet Letter." It is a great work and gives much enjoyment when read slowly and with a receptive spirit. After is the delightfully gothic "The House of the Seven Gables," which is another great work and an exploration of the soul of man. "The Blithedale Romance" is less successful than the two preceding, but is still an enjoyable read, regardless of the fact that it leaves the reader wanting more at the end. It addresses the issue of a Utopia on earth, and has interesting characters. Lastly, "The Marble Faun" is a romance involving Americans in Italy, and explores the nature of evil and its effects on the human heart. In my opinion, it is Hawthorne's greatest and most successful work, and the one place where he fully realizes his potential. It is not as repetitive as "The Scarlet Letter," and has more depth than "Gables."
As for the physical book: simply put, the Library of America edition is wonderful; easy to hold, easy to read, and attractive to look at--a near perfect edition. My only complaint is that the notes in the back could be more thorough, but, then again, this is a reading edition, and not a scholarly edition. Perfect for sitting at home in a comfortable chair and relaxing to a good read.
And a final comment about Hawthorne's style--he wrote in the nineteenth century, when more emphasis was placed on sonorous language and the enjoyability of reading. He was not a self-absorbed modernist, or a smut entertainer. His books are meant to be read slowly and attentively. Often Hawthorne explores the same idea from numerous angles, always trying to bring the reader closer to his (Hawthorne's) own understanding. When an author does this, it is because he wants us to pay attention. Many times I have re-read a paragraph or line just to enjoy the flow of the words and his rich descriptive style. Also, his works have great psychological depth and an uncompromising moral vision that will be revealed to the receptive reader.
Buy this book, sit back, read, and enjoy the art of a master. Then, when you finish, pick up the companion Library of America volume of his short works!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hawthorne the master of "the master" (Henry James), November 24, 2006

By 

Michael D. Jones "Reader" (Pasadena, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Nathaniel Hawthorne : Collected Novels: Fanshawe, The Scarlet Letter, The House of the Seven Gables, The Blithedale Romance, The Marble Faun (Library of America) (Hardcover)

I strongly agree with Richard's comments. Hawthorne should be read again and again throughout one's life. Even the great master of the novel, Henry James, found himself coming back time and again to Hawthorne as a touchstone of his creative imagination. We are fortunate to have dedicated teachers lead us through Hawthorne's work while we are teenagers, as adults we can read his work and appreciate it as a great work of art. Those who prefer to run through literature at a rapid pace would be better off staying with Marvel Comics. Library of America has provided a great service by publishing the Centenary Edition of Hawthorne in this beautiful edition. We are the better for it who can meditate deeply on the art and imagination of Nathaniel Hawthorne.