The House Of The Seven Gables

I read this book decades ago when I was a teenager. However, I'm reviewing it now because of the awesome audio book version read by the amazing Joan Allen. If you must read House of the Seven Gables, try to get the audio book with Joan Allen!

There are numerous aspects of this book that readers might dislike. It is extremely long and very dull, as well as quite sad. For dozens of pages, nothing significant occurs. The mansion decays, and hopeless, lonely old people have a poor self-image. Then, when things turn happy, the sentimentality can be almost nauseating. Clifford, the pathetic, child-like, senile madman, falling for sweet, virginal, innocent Phoebe. It's truly sickening, as if someone is sentimentalizing pedophiles or worse.

So, why the three stars? There is some good content in this book, but it's not the present-day plot in the 1840s. That part is really dull and makes one want to puke. However, the long flashback (similar to Dark Shadows, really) to the 1700s is much, much better. Strong-willed, sexy, haughty Alice Pyncheon is about one million times sexier than mousy little Phoebe. The romance between Alice and the carpenter Maule would have been red hot and scorching. When he starts hypnotizing, you think, "ah, now things are going to happen! She's going to be his own haughty little sex zombie! More! More!" Without giving away spoilers, that doesn't happen. Things just become dull again.

But Hawthorne had a real story there. He was just too afraid to make it happen. The 1700s clash between Alice and surly, sexy young Maule should have been a scorching love story. It should have intertwined with the explosive violence of the American Revolution and ended with the two of them getting married and helping the new nation move forward. It didn't occur, but it's still exciting to read the novel and envision "what if" scenarios.

Well, exciting if you're me, anyway.

It’s an extremely long and overly wordy piece, yet the story it tells is undeniably captivating. The issue I faced, similar to many other reviewers, lies in the density of the book. It gives the impression of being even longer than it actually is. Every single aspect is described with meticulous detail. The writing is truly beautiful. There’s a valid reason why this is considered a classic, and I must admit that I’ve been eager to read it for some time now, mainly because of the title. Have you ever found yourself irresistibly drawn to a book simply because its title is so enchanting?

The story isn’t just about the house; it also delves into the lives of the people who inhabit it, along with a supporting cast of characters. It’s a challenging read, made even more so by the fact that, unless you have a genuine affinity for very long and descriptive prose, you might grow impatient and start skimming. However, that doesn’t mean I didn’t gain anything from this book. In fact, I did. And I must also state that I disagree with those who claimed this wasn’t scary. I read some of the reviews before penning my own. Many said it wasn’t frightening in the slightest, but I beg to differ.

I thought it was truly creepy. The scene involving Alice and what is done to her really freaked me out. And that wasn’t the only eerie aspect of the book; there were numerous others. Now, I’m afraid I have to ask those who haven’t read this to stop reading because I’m about to include some spoilers. Spoilers: I really, really liked the ending. I have to admit that I didn’t anticipate it. There were several moments towards the end when I thought the book was going to conclude on a very melancholy note, but it didn’t. Instead, it continued into the next chapter. Frankly, I’m not accustomed to Classics having a happy ending. It doesn’t occur all that often. I would never have suspected it would happen here. I adored the last paragraph, and one can clearly see that the author took great pleasure in writing it. Despite the few problems I had with the book, I would wholeheartedly recommend it anyway. It’s rather unique. It’s definitely worth it to reach the end, which was written in such a heavenly way that anyone who has read the book will know precisely what I mean by that.

I was truly astonished recently. In The Northern Echo in Darlington, within the section of Memories, it was noted that they had heard of Hawthorn, yet could not name a single book by him.

Interestingly, I obtained my copy of one of his works for free with a box of household matches. This just goes to show that free gifts can sometimes be quite remarkable.

I highly doubt that the author, who has been deceased for a long time, would have been overly pleased to discover that his book was being given away in such a manner.

A ghost story with a love twist, similar to many classic American books, has unfortunately been forgotten. This is because it has not been featured on TV or in movies for years, and to this day, it remains largely forgotten.

However, in the last few weeks of May 2022, Talking Pictures aired a 1970s Vincent Price movie that was based on this very book. It was truly wonderful to see an old classic movie adapted from that brilliant free book that originally came with a box of matches.

It serves as a reminder that sometimes, even the most overlooked works can have their moment in the spotlight once again.

Hawthorne's works have always been dear to me in all their manifestations. Even when the story didn't fully convince me, I was still captivated by his classic style and the gothic atmospheres he was able to create. And this title is no exception.

The characters that emerge from his pen are all fascinating. There's old Epzibah, seemingly harsh and crusty on the surface, but capable of great affection for her relatives, hiding behind a mask of hardness for self-defense. Then there's Clifford, reduced to a shadow of a man who almost lost his sanity due to unjust imprisonment. Phoebe, the simple but kind-hearted cousin from the countryside, brings a touch of joy to the gloomy House of the Seven Gables. There's also the daguerreotypist Holgrave, who rents a room in the house and knows human nature well. And let's not forget Uncle Venner, the old man at heart who just wants to retire to his rural life after a lifetime of hard work. Even Judge Clifford, the greedy and malicious cousin of the owners, who only cares about politics and amassing as many possessions as possible, trampling over others in the process.

Above all, there's the curse of the Pyncheon family that has lingered since their ancestors, cast by the wizard Maule. The setting is magnificent, evoking in its places and rooms the aura that hovers over this family, as well as the various facets of the protagonists' souls. On one hand, they are dark and withdrawn, burdened by immense weights. On the other hand, they are capable of great humanity and acts that can驱散 the clouds that hang over them, like the inner garden of the house that contains plants and flowers of rare splendor.

OHMYFREAKIN'GAWD.

Why on earth did I pick this up again? You say life's too short? Well, you're right. There are 200+ other books on my 'to read' shelf, and this one was sucking the life out of my reading will. But my excuse? I'm just freakin' stubborn. It's Hawthorne. I mean, how much more quintessentially New England can you get? I couldn't just give up. That would be like betraying my countryman.

Whatever.

In my younger days, for a few years, I worked down the street from the House of the Seven Gables. I always felt this literary pang of guilt for not having read the book. I could never look it straight in the eye, feeling the shame wash over me. Its judgmental gables seemed to peek out at me as I sat by the lighthouse eating lunch. I want all those years of remorse back. I could have put that time to better use.

And you know what? It's not such a bad story, really. It's got murder, witchcraft, a creepy house, a curse, a spinster and her childlike convict brother, some mystery hottie, and a fair maiden. Throw in an organ grinder and some insolent chickens, and you've got the makings of a great short story.

See what I did there? I said'short story.' But what Hawthorne does, and what really irritates the hell out of me, is draw out the narrative. And then he draws it out some more. It gets to the point where you (or rather, I) want to throw the damn book down, cursing and feeling like you've just been scolded by your high school English teacher for not appreciating its nuances.

Ugh. Double frickin' UGH.

For example, do I really need 8 pages describing the gardens? Or does he really think he's being clever when he writes 18 pages playing out the death of one of the characters? (Oops - spoiler - my bad.) I get it... ha ha... you're just full of wit there, Nate.

I will say that there was one little salacious scene that had me all a-twitter and thinking that I might see some girl-on-old-decrepit-man action. But then I realized I was just bored and looking for something to hold my interest.

Maybe I've just read too much. Maybe I'm just expecting too much. I grew up on Hungry Mans and the advent of the remote control. I don't have the patience for all this pussyfooting around. Just give me what I want and give it to me now. Okay?

The House of the Seven Gables by Nathanial Hawthorne is a captivating classic. It follows the story of a family cursed by Mathew Maul, who was wrongly accused, tried, and convicted of witchcraft. The Pyncheon family built their mansion on the land seized from Maul. The misdeeds of Colonel Jaffrey Pyncheon are linked to the family's subsequent misfortunes, as his portrait looms ominously. While the narrative and writing are beautiful, there were times when I felt a bit weary. Overall, it was a book I'm glad I read.

In the preface, Hawthorne tells us that this is a Romance, not a Novel. A Romance gives the writer more latitude. The tale attempts to connect the past with the present, bringing along some of its legendary mist. The House of the Seven Gables in Salem Harbor, built in 1668 by John Turner and designated a National Historic Landmark District in 2007, inspired Hawthorne's novel. It's also interesting that Hawthorne had a distant relation involved in the Salem witch trials, which likely added to his interest in writing this gothic novel. As Hawthorne himself said, "We have already hinted that it is not our purpose to trace down the history of the Pyncheon family... nor to show... how the rustiness and infirmity of age gathered over the venerable house itself." And, "For, what other dungeon is so dark as one’s own heart! What jailer so inexorable as one’s self!"

The House of the Seven Gables is a complex and engaging work that continues to fascinate readers today.

An old US colloquial house stands there, with its seven gables that seem to be mockingly defying heaven.

There are seven main characters in this story. The old and ugly Hepzibah Pyncheon runs a candy shop to make a living for herself and her war-torn brother Clifford Pyncheon. Her face is marred as she has to squint to see clearly. She badly needs to wear glasses but is so impoverished that she can't afford one. As a result, customers are few, except for the young and adorable boy Ned Higgins, who loves the gingerbread cookies and keeps coming back to the candy shop, unfazed by Hepzibah's appearance. Hovering in the background is the lone tenant, the daguerreotypist (old style photographer) Holgrave, who has an unknown reason for staying in the house.

Then, one by one, the other characters arrive at this old, decrepit, and decaying house, as if Hawthorne is召唤 them onto the stage: the young and beautiful Phoebe Pyncheon steps onto the old wooden porch, the cunning and greedy Judge Jaffrey Pyncheon insists on going inside the house despite Phoebe's protests, and the frequent visitor who lives nearby, Uncle Venner.

What makes this novel remarkable is the characters. Hawthorne has a masterful skill in creating contrasts among his characters, highlighting their differences. For example, the ugly but good-hearted Hepzibah versus the sweet-smiling but cunning Jaffrey, the young and lovely Phoebe stepping onto the porch of the decrepit old house, the young and adorable Ned chewing on the gingerbread cookies given to him by the scary lady, and so on. The house, with its glorious past, hides a dark secret. The images are so stark and vivid that they will remain with you even after you close the book.

The scare in this story doesn't come from a boy and a black man being able to read other people's minds or predict the future. Nor does it come from a lady in the bathtub with her blood-smeared breasts floating in the water. The scare here stems from the realization that a man's greed from long ago can have consequences for future generations. You reap what you sow, and perhaps your children and grandchildren will also bear the brunt. The scare here is about the frailty of man due to money. We all know that money can be evil, and if you don't have enough to pay off your mounting bills, it can lead to sleepless nights and drive you and your family crazy.

For this reason, it's Hawthorne over King.

Synopsis: "Nathaniel Hawthorne's captivating psychological drama centers around the Pyncheon family, a dynasty established on pious theft. They have lived for generations under a dead man's curse until their house is ultimately purified by love."

Initially, I was extremely pleasantly surprised by how much I relished this book set in 19th century Puritan New England. There was an uncanny quality, a quiet and subtle sense of suspense that enticed me to seek answers without a frenzied urgency to solve the mysteries surrounding the inhabitants of the house. I was gradually drawn into the enigmas of the Pyncheon family. What is the identity of the boarder in the house and how does he fit into the scheme of things? What has caused such sadness among those gentle people residing there? Why is there such fear and loathing towards their cousin, Judge Pyncheon? What could possibly have been done to them to reduce them to these dire straits?

Hawthorne painted a vivid portrait of Hepzibah Pycheon, the elderly owner of the house, who finds herself ensnared by her heritage and defeated by life. She has fallen from a wealthy and genteel existence to one where she is compelled to earn her own livelihood, despite being completely ill-prepared to do so.

"These names of gentleman and lady had a meaning, in the past history of the world, and conferred privileges, desirable or otherwise, on those entitled to bear them. In the present - and still more in the future condition of society - they imply, not privilege, but restriction!"

I can envision this woman; I know her. Although I could not love her, I grew to admire her tremendously and also pity her as the story progressed. Here was a woman who had withdrawn from society so completely that she was like the walking dead. The cast of characters was each revealed to be more flawed and damaged than the previous one until we are introduced to Phoebe, a young, cheerful cousin arriving from the country, bringing life and a degree of happiness back into the house. Hawthorne's beautiful prose flowed so smoothly that I simply glided along with it.

On the downside, there were sections of the book that were just a touch too sweet, almost cringe-worthy: "The deepest pathos of Phoebe's voice and song, moreover, came sifted through the golden texture of a cheery spirit, and was somehow so interfused with the quality thence acquired, that one's heart felt all the lighter for having wept at it."

By page 200, the same slow tempo that charmed me at the beginning of the book began to pall. I was losing patience and longing for something to occur, anything at all. Just get on with it and give me some answers. When Hawthorne finally disclosed the truth about his characters and their history, it was anticlimactic as I had already surmised what his revelations would be, leaving no surprise for me.

Overall, I did enjoy the book but did not love it.

My rating: 3.5 out of 5*