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Nathaniel Hawthorne's Tales (Norton Critical Editions)

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There is nearly enough material in here for an entire class on Hawthorne. Many short stories from Twice Told Tales are here. The stories have numerous footnotes explaining historical context. There are many letters by Hawthorne and also forwards to various works. Of course, since this is a critical edition, its full of critical articles too. I was pleased. I'd recommend it for a class. Also, if someone wants to really dig into Hawthorne's short stories, I can think of no better book to start with.

This is very well edited and prepared collection of Hawthorne's tales. It has everything what a critical edition needs. But the real value of this book are, of course, Hawthorne's tales themselves. For a long time Hawthorne was almost forgotten author, forgotten for common readers I mean, and he was only a name from literary history. But he did not deserve that. His place is among his readers. His tales are among the finest allegories ever written. "Wakefield" is maybe the only real predeccesors of Kafka's works. "Young Goodman Brown" reminds of "Twilight Zone". Hawthorne's tales are great and exceptionally and surprisingly modern.

This Norton Critical Edition of 21 of Hawthorne's
tales and sketches (arranged chronologically according
to date of publication -- from "My Kinsman, Major
Molineux" [1831] to "Feathertop: A Moralized Legend"
[1852]) is a truly wonderful anthology. But the editor,
James McIntosh, in the excellent Norton Critical
Editions manner, has also included the major "Prefaces"
from Hawthorne's collections of tales ("The Old
Manse"-- from _Mosses from an Old Manse_ [1846];

"Preface to the 1851 Edition of _Twice-told Tales_";
and "Preface to _The Snow-Image_), as well as
Letters, excerpts from Hawthorne's notebooks, and
finally, an excellent series of critical essays,
extending from Hawthorne's own time up to 1980
[among these is a full inclusion of Herman Melville's
wondrous essay of praise and idolatry, "Hawthorne
and His Mosses" -- first published in _Literary
World_ on 17 and 14 August 1850.].
Even though one might have one's own reasons for
having bias against Hawthorne the man, still the
quality of literacy and the insight into human
psychology and feelings is of such an exceptional
artistic and genius sort that one must leave those
qualifiers outside the temple when one comes inside
to ponder and meditate upon the spirit and wisdom
of this artist.
The best words in speaking of him, of honoring him,
perhaps come from himself and from others who knew
him and read him and were influenced, in whatever way,
by him.
* * * * * * * * *
"Lightly as I have spoken of these old books, there
yet lingers with me a superstitious reverence for
literature of all kinds. A bound volume has a charm
in my eyes, similar to what scraps of manuscript possess,
for the Mussulman. He imagines, that those wind-wafted
records are perhaps hallowed by some sacred verse; and I,
that every new book, or antique one, may contain the
'Open Sesame' -- the spell to disclose treasures,
hidden in some unsuspected cave of Truth."
--Nathaniel Hawthorne; "The Old Manse."
* * * * * * * * *
"When a new star rises in the heavens, people gaze
after it for a season with the naked eye, and with such
telescopes as they may find. In the stream of thought,
which flows so peacefully deep and clear, through the
pages of this book, we see the bright reflection of a
spiritual star, after which men will be fain to gaze
'with the naked eye, and with the spy-glasses of
criticism.' The star is but newly risen; and ere long
the observations of numerous star-gazers, perched up
on arm-chairs and editors' tables, will inform the
world of the magnitude and its place in the heaven of
poetry, whether it be in the paw of the Great Bear, or
on the forehead of Pegasus, or on the strings of the
Lyre, or in the wings of the Eagle. [from Norton
footnote: Constellations, here representing -- rough
power, dynamic inspiration, musical grace, lofty
majesty.]
--Henry Wadsworth Longfellow; from an unsigned
review of _Twice-Told Tales_, 1837.
* * * * * * * * *
"No man can read a fine author, and relish him to
his very bones, while he reads, without subsequently
fancying to himself some ideal image of the man and
his mind. And if you rightly look for it, you will
almost always find that the author himself has somewhere
furnished you with his own picture. For poets (whether
in prose or verse), being painters of Nature, are like
their brethren of the pencil, the true portrait-painters,
who, in the multitude of likenesses to be sketched, do
not invariably omit their own, and in all high instances,
they paint them without any vanity, though, at times,
with a lurking something, that would take several
pages to properly define."
-- Herman Melville; "Hawthorne and His Mosses."
* * * * * * * * *
Wondrous praise for this Artist of the Beautiful
and Insightful -- Revealer of the Heart and Mind...

Reminds you of how great American literature can be; the complexity of reflections of early American writers. His reflections of American society at the time of writing - often forgotten - help us reach back to a time of American history to get a better understanding of how America came about ... for good or for bad, we are where we are for a reason. And Hawthorne makes essential, intuitive, and thoughtful comments in his reflective writings. Absolutely classic.