The Hawthorne Treasury: Complete Novels and Selected Tales

The five novels and a healthy selection of the best stories. This collection is truly a gem. It offers a diverse range of literary works that can satisfy the cravings of any avid reader. Each novel has its own unique charm, taking the reader on a journey through different worlds, filled with interesting characters and captivating plots. The selection of short stories is equally impressive, presenting a snapshot of various themes and emotions in a concise yet powerful way.

This book is not just a one-time read. It is a companion that I can safely say I will never stop going back to. Whenever I need an escape from reality or a source of inspiration, I know I can turn to these pages and find solace. The writing is so engaging that it hooks you from the very first sentence and keeps you hooked until the very end. It is a testament to the talent of the authors and the editors who curated this wonderful collection.

In conclusion, this book is a must-have for any book lover. It is a treasure trove of literary excellence that will provide hours of entertainment and enlightenment. I highly recommend it to anyone who appreciates good writing and a great story.

FANSHAWE: I have a great affection for Hawthorne, yet I must admit that this particular work isn't among my top favorites. I struggled to identify the allegories that his works are renowned for. However, perhaps I'm simply out of practice when it comes to the classics. Classics... oh, the language transports me back to my youthful days of idealism, filled with beautiful ideas and characters that clearly served as examples or warnings regarding personal actions. In a world where love can be distorted and evil exists, there is still purity of heart and honor of character! Fanshawe was a tragic lover, a man of noble heart inspired by the simple beauty of a woman. Yet, he is honest with himself and does what is best for all, not just for himself. Modern books may possess high quality, deep thought, and intense emotion, but all too often they are clouded with psychology, relativism, and the underlying notion that being noble is a rare thing.

THE SCARLET LETTER: A part of me ponders whether our fascination with this tale stems from a desire to assuage the heavy guilt we Americans bear about our pasts, both individually and collectively. Do we read The Scarlet Letter and teach it in high school to convince ourselves that sinning isn't so terrible and that society has no right to judge us? I'm not certain; it's just a thought. Let's remember that guilt is a part of religion, not the entirety of it. We should neither overly condone it nor accept its diminishment in society or within ourselves. It is simply a tool to better ourselves, nothing more and nothing less.

THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN GABLES: I read this many years ago in high school and remember only a few details. However, I recall liking it a great deal (definitely more than The Scarlet Letter). It deals with sin, repentance, and redemption, much like many of Hawthorne's works. The twist lies in ancestral guilt... how succeeding generations bear the weight of wrongs committed by the previous ones. Of course, it isn't logical to be held responsible for the sins of our forebearers, and I believe Hawthorne didn't think so either. But he felt it... just as many modern white Americans do regarding the theft of Indian lands, slavery, and segregation. Why is this so? Is there something real to this? Who truly knows? What Hawthorne does show us is that we must break free from those sins and make ourselves right by living good and just lives as reparations for such evils.

THE BLITHEDALE ROMANCE: Instead of delving into an analysis of Blithedale's resemblance to Brook Farm or what Hawthorne had to say about feminism (both of which are the focal points of any online synopsis I found), I'd like to comment on Hawthorne's use of Coverdale, the narrator. Honestly, I was impressed by how Hawthorne not only kept Coverdale as an observer of the main characters but also by how little he (and therefore the reader) knew. Many plot points are never directly spelled out to the reader but are left to be guessed at from Coverdale's observations. I think it's admirable that Hawthorne has enough faith in his readers to assume they are intelligent enough to read between the lines. It's also realistic. Hawthorne resisted the temptation to give Coverdale a touch of his authorial omniscience. These limitations on plot information that Hawthorne imposes on the reader are what drove me to read the book voraciously, as it kept me wanting more than what was presented on the page. It's a great technique.

THE MARBLE FAUN: I'm not sure what to say about this one. It's a good story, well-executed, but for some reason, it didn't ignite my passion as much as Hawthorne's works usually do. Maybe it's because it was a late-career work. In my experience, an author's third or fourth work is often the best (still fresh but not yet tired or self-important). Again, this book dealt with sin and redemption, but it focused more on an individual's own sin and loss of innocence compared to the frequent theme of hereditary or circumstantial sin that Hawthorne is so acclaimed for. All in all, it's worth reading for anyone who wants a comprehensive understanding of the classics.

TWICE-TOLD TALES: The most interesting aspect of this book was reading historical fiction written in the 19th century about American periods prior to that time, particularly the revolutionary period and before. While Hawthorne is best known for The Scarlet Letter, a type of this kind of fiction, he didn't only write historical fiction. Nevertheless, it dominates the short stories in Twice-Told Tales and was quite enlightening regarding a 19th-century view of history up to that point.

MOSSES FROM AN OLD MANSE: Another collection of Hawthorne tales. I must say that I enjoyed this one far more than TWICE-TOLD. Of note are "The Birthmark", "Rappaccini's Daughter", "The Celestial Railroad", "Feathertop", and "The Artist of the Beautiful." Overall, I felt that this was an artist at his best, a man looking at the world with unique and fresh eyes.

THE SNOW IMAGE: I won't say much. It's typical Hawthorne, and I've already written a great deal about his writings. It's not bad, but it's not his best either.

Fanshawe - I can't imagine anyone reading this today were it not by Nathaniel Hawthorne. When he wrote it, he was barely out of college, and later he would attempt to destroy every copy. I can see glimpses of the genius he would later展示 in his novels and short stories. The confrontation between "the Angler" and Hugh Crombie was quite striking. The line "Your good resolutions were always like cobwebs, and your evil habits like five-inch cables" is truly great. Here, we can also see some of the classic Hawthorne themes regarding good and evil and redemption. However, the melodrama is a bit too much. And the heroine Ellen Langton is rather dull and insipid. There is also far too much telling and not enough showing. But Hawthorne would improve significantly in the future. Two Stars

The Scarlet Letter - Hester Prynne is a heroic figure. I was puzzled when in a recent read of Ahab's Wife, Hawthorne was depicted as puritanical and the novel was considered patriarchal. But my memory of The Scarlet Letter was that Hawthorne's sympathies, even admiration, were with Hester. After a recent reread, I still hold this view, despite seeing some flaws. The "introductory sketch," "The Custom-House," which frames the story, I found pointless and boring. Admittedly, there are some overly melodramatic romantic touches. But past the first chapter, I was immediately gripped by the story and Hester. It's not a long novel, about 88 thousand words or 150 pages. We first meet Hester coming out of a prison door with roses blooming beside it. The Scarlet "A" on her bosom, which she embroidered elaborately with golden thread, is a powerful symbol. She refuses to name the man who shares her sin, even though it would mean she could remove the letter. She names her child Pearl and fights to keep her. Hester remains true to herself throughout. Five Stars

The House of Seven Gables - This tale of a family curse is surprisingly sunnier than The Scarlet Letter. There is so much richness here. The vocabulary, imagery, and certain scenes are etched in my memory. The scene of Judge Pynchon seated in the oak chair is particularly vivid. Poor Hepzibah and Clifford are such well-developed characters, as are even minor ones like Ned Higgins. Phoebe, alas, is the typical 19th-century heroine. The romance is fairly predictable. But there is more to the book than that. The theme of how the weight of history, ancestry, and heredity can crush individuals and families is very interesting. Four and a Half Stars

The Blithedale Romance - Blithedale is the name of the commune where the story takes place, but it's just a backdrop and not really the subject, which disappointed me. It's based on Hawthorne's own experiences at Brook Farm, a utopian commune. I've read that he was suspicious of utopianism, but this aspect felt underdeveloped in the novel. Yes, there are some critical elements. Coverdale, the narrator, has lofty aspirations that fade when he gets his hands dirty. Hollingsworth is a dangerous monomaniac. And Zenobia is a wasted character. In the end, it's just a love triangle that doesn't tie well into the theme of the impossibility of the perfectibility of man. The ending seemed melodramatic and the last line made me roll my eyes. Three and a Half Stars

The Marble Faun - I managed to get through Fanshawe, which was only a hundred pages, and Hawthorne's other two novels, which were around two hundred pages. But The Marble Faun is 402 pages, and by page 150, I was already feeling it was dragging on. I rather liked Miriam, a strong female Jewish character, which is rare in 19th-century fiction. Maybe Hawthorne took inspiration from Sir Walter Scott's Rebecca in Ivanhoe. It was also refreshing to see two independent women artists. However, Hawthorne then reversed the strong depiction of women with Hilda. And I found the digressions about art and Roman monuments more interesting than the main narrative. The portrayal of Catholics is abominable, and the "marble faun" metaphor is overdone. Two and a Half Stars

This volume also contains "thirty-seven novelettes and tales" from Twice Told Tales, Mosses from an Old Manse, and The Snow Image. No one should miss reading "The Minister’s Black Veil," "Young Goodman Brown," and "Rappaccini’s Daughter," which are all classics that I was assigned in high school and are as creepy and striking as anything in Poe.