Customer Reviews

The Blithedale Romance

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is not only a book with which any Hawthorne fan should be familiar, it is a necessity to anyone who is studying the Romantic Tradition. This text is an elegant commentary on the ideals that the Romantics held dear, such as the authenticity of a life close to the earth, the superiority of existence outside of common society rather than within it, and our innate ability, with enough well-directed effort, to transcend our own humanity. Like a breath of fresh air after Wordsworth, Thoreau, Keats, and both Shelleys, Hawthorne's cynicism and pessimism on these topics shine clearly through this work. Though admittedly he has failed in his announced effort to make the text cheerful and lighthearted, this is not such a complete failure as one may initially suppose, when this novel is contrasted with his others. Much of the humor that is in the book is centered around the narrator, Coverdale, whose nature forces him to fit in with his surroundings in a way which is a bit askew, precipitating enjoyable scenes which the reader can appreciate, if he or she has refrained from judging this main character. The treasure in this book, however, is not mainly in its humor, but rather (for me at least - each person presumably takes from it something different) in the elegance with which so many universal truths are exposed (often only partially, so that the reader can feel a sense of triumph when they wholly uncover them) to our conscious awareness. As you have no doubt already surmised, I highly recommend this novel.

The Blithedale Romance is a somewhat dark, depressing tale of idealism gone awry and of friendship and love torn asunder by private ambitions. The romance of these pages is not what many modern readers may expect to find here; there is no penultimate consummation of love among these characters, nor is there much happiness indeed to be discerned from the complexity of their relations one with another. Much has been made of Hawthorne's own temporary residence at the utopian-minded Brook Farm a decade previous to the publication of this work; it is true that some of the experiences derive from his own memories, but Hawthorne went to great pains to make clear that this is a romance first and foremost and bears no direct relation to the experiences of his own life. Those who would read this novel in an attempt to get at Hawthorne's true feelings about the utopian socialism he flirted with and watched from afar during his pivotal creative years may well miss out on the thought-provoking treatment of such wonderfully literary, fascinating characters as Hollingsworth the idealistic philanthropist, Zenobia the modern feminist reformer with a fatal flaw inimical to her self-realization, and the sweet and frail Priscilla.

The first-person narrator of this story is Miles Coverdale, a man difficult to come to terms with. He joins with the pioneers behind the utopian farming community of Blithedale and truly takes heart in the possibility of this new kind of communitarian life offering mankind a chance to live lives of purpose and fulfillment, yet at times he steps outside of events and seems to view the whole experience as a study in human character and a learning experience to which his heart-strings are only loosely bound. The drama that unfolds is told in his perspective only, and one can never know how much he failed to discern or the degree to which his own conjectures are correct. His eventual castigation of Hollingsworth cannot be doubted, however. This rather unfeeling man joins the community on the hidden pretext of acquiring the means for fulfilling his overriding utopian dream of creating an edifice for the reformation of criminals. This dream takes over his life, Coverdale observes, and his once-noble philanthropic passion morphs him into an overzealous, unfeeling man who brings ruin upon those who were once his friends. It is really Zenobia, though, upon which the novel feeds. She is a fascinating woman of means who makes the Blithedale dream a reality, a bold reformer seeking a new equality for women in the world who ultimately, at Hawthorne's bidding, suffers the ignominious fate of the fragile spirit she seemed to have overcome.

This is not a novel that will immediately enthrall you in its clutches. The first half of the novel is sometimes rather slow going, but I would urge you not to cast this book aside carelessly. The final chapters sparkle with drama and human passion, and you find yourself suddenly immersed in this strange community of tragic friends-turned-foes. You care deeply what happens to such once-noble spirits, and while you may not find joy in the tragic conclusion of the ill-fated social experiment of Blithedale, you will certainly find your soul stirred by the tragedy of unfolding events.

Hawthorne expresses his cynical attitude toward Utopian reformers in this novel. The narrator, Miles Coverdale, visits a Utopian commune (Blithedale Farm) where he interacts with a haughty, seductive woman named Zenobia and a timid creature named Priscilla. He meets the philanthropist Hollingsworth, who is so intent on reforming humanity that he does not have much concern for individual men and women. But all of these characters seem to have a secret and mysterious past, which is largely revealed but never fully explained by the end of the novel (at least not to my satisfaction). The story is rather bleak; it is confusing in parts, and it is difficult to tell whether or not you can fully trust the narrator's perspective. But it is somewhat interesting, and as usual with Hawthorne's novels, there are some deep insights and memorable characters.

Hawthorne was able to work within a strict set of boundaries to create something of a social call to arms and equally,a strange, unwordly tale. The scenes in the forest are a clear antecedent to those writers in the 20th century working the magic realism vein. Above and beyond all of this though is the magnificent use of language to create atmosphere and brilliantly delineated characters. It's a gorgeous book ; the effect as rich as a Gauguin painting.

As a Hawthorne fan, I allowed this book's title to dissuade me. A romance? Not my thing. Surely, this would be sub-par fiction from one of my favorite American authors. I set aside my objections, however, after seeing that England's Westminster Review called this book "the finest production of genius in either hemisphere." I was further intrigued by its exploration of the Utopian ideal, in this case, the fictional communal farm of Blithedale, based on Hawthorne's own real-life experiences at the short-lived Brook Farm outside Boston. There are romance elements within this story, yes, but the initial romance is that notion of a better life somewhere else, with like-minded souls, forgetting the reality of the fallen nature in mankind.

"The Blithedale Romance" is told first-person through the eyes of Miles Coverdale, a young poet. It's an easier read than Hawthorne's other novels, told with a wry sense of humor and sarcasm. He wonders, for example, whether this social experiment will be aptly named "The Oasis" or "Saharah." As Coverdale joins the other dreamers at Blithedale, he imagines the spiritual benefits of hard work, the joys their own labors will bestow upon them, but those "clods of earth . . . never etherealized into thought. Our thoughts, on the contrary, were fast becoming cloddish." The romance of their fellowship and shared subsistence loses its sheen, even in its first days, when they realize they must beat out the local market-goers, if they are to find the best produce. The very dog-eat-dog mentality they hope to escape becomes part of their reality, if they hope to survive their first winter together.

The idealism of their Community begins to crumble beneath the personal, though outwardly philanthropic, ambitions of formidable Mr. Hollingsworth. Hollingsworth's goals draw in the equally formidable--and unforgettable, among women in fiction--Zenobia, who seems to be the leader of this ragtag Community. While Coverdale resists Hollingsworth's requests, Zenobia is joined by the farm's newest member, frail but graceful Priscilla, in falling in love with Hollingsworth. The connections between these four souls become clear as the story goes along, including the mysterious Mr. Moodie and the ominous Westervelt. These characters' pasts, their hurts, their loves and affections, will ultimately doom the otherwise noble intentions at Blithedale. Tragedy will ensue. And once again, as in the Garden of Eden, mankind's selfish endeavors derail his attempts at bettering humanity.

Hawthorne, through Coverdale's confessions, not only warns us against the laziness that makes no effort at betterment, but against the lofty ideals that can become so narrow-minded they harm our greater good. He gives thought-provoking commentary on love, feminism, socialism, art, hard work, and the fundamentalism that now plagues our country in various modes. In confession, Mr. Coverdale shows his own culpability in the farm's failed experiment. If we are to live together in harmony, if we are to improve as a society, we could take a few lessons from "The Blithedale Romance," choosing a balanced view of men and women, the spiritual and physical, and the need for community with occasional retreats for personal refreshment.

Despite its numerous ideas and commentaries, this is the most whimsical--until the end--of Hawthorne's stories. Its plot meanders, but the characters are deftly drawn, full-bodied and multifaceted. Even in providing a cautionary tale, Hawthorne seems to follow his own advice and take a lighthearted approach to the unpredictability of the mind and the human heart.

I decided to read Blithedale Romance because the plot was purported to explore utopian ideals and the breakdown of a utopian society. I thought it would be an interesting take on the subject, along the lines of Brave New World or 1984. What I got was something very different, and pretty disappointing at that. A lot of things about this book frustrated me. First, the events in the book are just plain unrealistic and non-believable. For example, when Coverdale's hotel window just happens to look out onto Zenobia's drawing room in Boston, and a huge confrontation takes place as a result. Second, the character descriptions are repetitive, and also hard to believe. I mean, how many cheesy ways can you think of to describe the delicate and fragile nature of poor Priscilla. A crumbling flower? A pale ghost? The Veiled Lady? A lost rabbit? Just please stop it; we get it after 30 total pages of this. Third, I believe that Hawthorne had the 19th century version of ADD. He goes off on non-consequential tangents that are boring. At times, he seems to be writing without a purpose. If you take out all the tangential descriptions, you could probably reduce this book to a short story about Hollingsworth, Zenobia, and Priscilla. Instead, we're required to read a whole novel that lacks tempo due to the frequent and irrelevant interruptions. Fourth, the characters are one-dimension and lack any depth. For example, Hollingsworth is the guy who believes in a single ideal at the cost of all others; everything about him follows from this, other than an occasional reference to his gentle nature. Priscilla is always the innocent and fragile little girl; nothing more.

I'm giving the book two stars instead of one because there are three or four noteworthy quotes/observations in the book that I did like. In hindsight, I should have just read these passages from the book, and skipped the rest. You can't carry a whole novel on three or four wisdom soundbites.

I often go to the public library on Saturdays and select an armful of books to take home. I check out so many because I know that only one or two of them will strike my fancy. This particular time I went through my stack of novels, reading the first 50 or so pages, and found all of them wanting--except for the last one in the pile: The Blythedale Romance by Nathaniel Hawthorne. It's funny how some reviewers insisted that the first few chapters of this novel were "slow going." It's all in what you're looking for, I suppose. Like most 19th century novels, the plot is developed in its own time. Since this was before movies were around, more scene descriptions and character development was necessary. I was immediately enchanted with this tale of a group of intellectuals, or would-be intellectuals, who decided to give Utopia another chance. I found the narrator, Miles Coverdale, charming and witty and all the characters interesting and complex. This kind of surprised me, because I read the book years ago and liked it, but felt that now I might have outgrown it. Not so. After House of the Seven Gables, it's my favorite Hawthorne.

Hawthorne's third novel, THE BLITHEDALE ROMANCE, combines

diverse elements such as mystery, passion, social reform and philosophy-even a ghost story--all blended into a delightful literary patchwork. Set in mid 19th century Massachusetts this novel was inspired by the author's personal sojourn at Brook Farm-an experiment in Socialism and communal living--where he shed the trappings of polite society in order to become an instant farmer in a noble cause. Although he drew upon real life personalities of the 1850's for inspiration, his work was intended to be read and enjoyed as fiction. Despite the obvious parallels between Hawthorne and his protagonist, Miles Coverdale, readers may savor the storyline at face value; while Hawthorne was actually engaged during his time at Brook Farm, Miles remained a "frosty bachelor" all his days, despite his last-line confession.

Functioning partly as narrator and as Greek chorus passive Miles arrives at Blithedale Farm on a snowy evening in mid April, eager to begin his the great social experiment which would benefit all mankind. There he meets his similarly-minded new brethren and sistersbut the undisputed queen at the farmhouse is a beautiful, stately woman known as Zenobia. A sudden, insistent pounding at the door heralds the arrival of a shaggy bear of a man, the reformer Hollingsworth, bearing in his arms a precious burden: a pale, fragile girl, Priscilla, who requires their communal compassion. From that dramatic moment on Miles' mind and heart become entangled in the curious and mysterious affairs of these three. In fact Miles does not bother even to name the other social reformers. He devotes the next months of his life to private sleuthing and speculation on the enigma of these three individuals, although a few peripheral outsiders intrude on Blithedale's fragile harmony.

Unlike Hawthorn's previous novels, this is first-person tale; thus, we do not witness events where Miles himself is not present. Despite the high-minded social motivation of the zealous reformers, personal passions cannot be prevented, nor can their effects on others be denied. Miles undergoes several transformations of opinion and feelings for the three who fascinate him. Unable to escape their mysterious intrigues even in Boston, whence he retires to reconsider his purpose at Blithedale, he is obliged to witness their private machinations in the real world. But who will prove the hero to rescue Priscilla from her hateful life of stage deception? Is kindly Miles up to the task? The dramatic climax of Zenobia's betrayal was based on an actual lugubrious experience of the author's. The novel provides rich insight into the struggle for Women's emancipation in the 19th century, as well as thoughtful judgment on the difficulty of establishing an agrarian Eden on earth.

Lacking perhaps the ambitious design of other Hawthorne novels, Blithdale makes up for it in first-person freshness. It's witty and straight, take it as you will. And yes, somewhat wickedly tongue in cheek in its engagement with a 19th century American experiment in utopia on earth.

Some reviews on this site are a sad testament to what a new generation has been subjected to by way of heavily idealized and politically ladened literary theory. The subtleties are all on the page but many students lately have apparently been prevented from seeing them by the standard goggles forced on their heads. "Depressing," "cynical" etc are odd ways to approach a text -- I take it the reviewers were disturbed by the Grand Canyon between what was on the page and what was in their teachers' heads and expectations. Taken as a sort of cry of pain (an honest emotional response anyway) I would urge these young readers to try again.

Truth is, utopia has always been the lodestar of the American mind -- inseperable from what brought many here in the first place, from the Declaration and Constitution, from the competing utopias of the civil war, to the published justifications of every one of our wars since. So what if Hawthorne didn't completely succeeed? Who else among our major writers so directly flew right to the heart of things, like a bee to honey?

This is the story of Miles Coverdale, a self-satisfied reformer of his time, a sort of proto-yuppie, comes to Blithedale for reasons as vague as his own dense and unexamined mind. He finds other high minded individuals mouthing platitudes but in full rutting behavior, as would befit dueling moose in the Yellowstone -- mainly over the brazen Zenobia. Why isn't everyone laughing yet? No, of course D.H. Lawrence didn't think it was funny. But yes, all of these admirable characters have a lot to say about social advancement, womens' freedom, etc -- but hasn't anyone told the students of today that serious literature requires we look behind, nay beneath our own self-satisfied justifications? Apparently training in critical thinking has disappeared, replaced with acceptance of the jingoism of all-pervasive advertising: one is what one says one is, since one has the right to say it and thereby define oneself, end of story.

But there's an apple at the end, folks, the punch line, "I was in love with . . . Priscilla . . . !"

Thus the ironic punchline to one of the funniest things I ever read in my life.

I read this book for college and at first was worried that it would not hold my interest for long. However, I was pleased to discover that The Blithedale Romance was full of mystery and intriguing characters. I would recomend this book to any reader who enjoys unraveling entwined strands of love and committment against a background of evil darkness.