This is a classic of gothic literature. However, when I was reading it, I didn't receive any joy. The only thing that gave me a little bit of pleasure was the small dopamine shot I got for crossing a classic off my to-be-read list.

I gave it 3 stars instead of 2 stars. The reason for this is that I did enjoy the rhythm of the antiquated prose and vernacular. The old-fashioned language had a certain charm and cadence that made it interesting to read.

Despite this, the overall story didn't really grab me. I found it a bit slow-paced and lacking in excitement. Maybe it's because I'm not a big fan of gothic literature in general, or maybe it's just that this particular classic didn't resonate with me.

Nevertheless, I can appreciate the historical significance and literary value of this work. It's a part of literary history and has influenced many other works in the gothic genre. So, even though I didn't love it, I'm glad I read it and can now say that I've experienced this classic of gothic literature.

The House of the Seven Gables, situated at 115 Derby Street, Salem, Massachusetts 01970, is today a premier historical attraction in a highly historic city. Built in 1668 and also known as the Turner-Ingersoll mansion, it is a precious gem of colonial New England architecture. However, it is most renowned for its associations with Nathaniel Hawthorne's 1851 Gothic literature masterpiece, The House of the Seven Gables.

Hawthorne, an early American writer, has never lost his significance or popularity among readers. In the US and worldwide, he is known for combining a Romantic sensibility with a rigorous examination of New England's often troubled history. Just as he cited his work in Salem's US Customs House as inspiration for The Scarlet Letter, he used his visits to the House of the Seven Gables (even though it had only three gables during his time in Salem) as the basis for The House of the Seven Gables.

The novel's narrator describes the house as a presence that emphasizes the connection between the present and the past. It serves as an illustration of how much old material contributes to the freshest novelty of human life. The story also highlights the injustice of the Salem Witch Trials and the Pyncheon family's history, including a blood-curse. The characters, such as Hepzibah, Clifford, and Holgrave, face various challenges and dilemmas, and the narrative explores themes of family, power, and the human condition.

The real-life House of the Seven Gables remains popular today, with a well-organized tour and a well-stocked museum shop. What makes it truly stand out, however, is its connection to Hawthorne's novel, which is suspenseful, well-crafted, and thought-provoking. Whether the Gothic elements of the plot are resolved rationally or supernatural forces are at play is left for the reader to discover, but Hawthorne seems to offer a cautiously optimistic view of how society can learn from its past and move forward.

I'm so glad you're dead, Nathaniel Hawthorne.

This is supposed to be a classic horror novel, but for a few hundred pages, absolutely nothing happens. All we get is the description of some house, an old hag selling oatmeal, and some guy who might or might not have hypnotized the other chick who's boarding there. There could potentially be something scary in there, but I was so busy dozing off that I didn't notice.

If Hawthorne were alive today, he'd probably be a zombie, and you know what? I'd be completely fine with that because then he could get a bullet in the head from the zombie experts. Serves him right for wasting my precious time, you dead bastard! One star is all this book deserves. Read it and cry!

I mean, seriously, what was the point of all that endless description? It was like watching paint dry. I kept waiting for something exciting to happen, but it never did. I'm just glad it's over and I can move on to a better book.

I truly enjoyed reading The Scarlet Letter. At that time, I firmly believed it was Hawthorne's finest work. However, after delving into The House of the Seven Gables, I have to admit that it has now become my absolute favorite and, in my opinion, his best creation yet.

What an amazing read this book is! The way Hawthorne structured the plot is simply brilliant. He skillfully weaves the story in such a manner that certain events towards the end catch you completely off guard. There is one chapter in particular that is strategically placed to build up an intense, gut-twisting suspense.

I have a deep appreciation for his language and the way he describes things. His descriptions of Hepzibah and Clifford are so exaggerated that they almost border on the comical, making me burst into laughter. This book is filled with a subtle, understated humor that adds an extra layer of charm.

I also found his use of certain archaic words quite interesting. Words like "immitigable", "quidnunc", "stomachic", and "eleemosynary" are no longer commonly used in our modern language. Thankfully, I was reading this book on a Kindle, which allowed me to look up these words immediately with just a touch.

Everyone in my discussion group adored this book, and I am certain that I will be exploring another one of Hawthorne's works in the future. I highly, highly recommend The House of the Seven Gables to all book lovers!

This isn't the exact edition I obtained or purchased from the library, but it's close enough. I'm growing tired of looking for the precise one. It was published by Longriver Press (Secaucus, NJ) in 1976. Mine is a hardbound, inexpensive copy, and the paper is starting to turn brown along the edges, yet it's in very good condition. The illustrations are by someone, but it's not specified. There is no "a Romance" after the main title. So far, I've only read the Introduction and the author's preface. I read this in boarding school back in the sixties and, as I recall, liked it.

Last night, I delved into the story, and Mr. H is taking his sweet time to progress. In terms of style, he seems to have a penchant for every word he encounters. However, he's at least better than his contemporary J. F. Cooper. It seems to me that I liked this in high school, although I can't remember any of it! Maybe I didn't - I surely didn't like "The Scarlet Letter"! It was impossible for me to read back then, anyway. Since then, I've read "Young Goodman Brown" (it's pretty hard not to as it's in many classic anthologies) and the excellent "My Kinsman, Major Molineux." Still, for me, this reads too much like Cooper and not enough like C. Bronte or J. Austen. It's fussy and wordy, with that strange, detached, ironic/whimsical air. Sort of like a 19th-century Sinclair Lewis without the bitterness.

Two consecutive books have used the word "gusty" (not related to wind), and he uses it twice in just a few pages! Alice Adams also used it.

Things are still meandering along atmospherically in and out of Hepzibah's cent-shop as we are introduced to various characters. I trust that the action will pick up soon!

Hepzibah is like me. She fondles mental lottery tickets, while I buy the real thing. So far, no big luck for either of us. Hepzibah is, for now anyway, both pathetic and annoying.

I didn't get too far last night, but two new characters have emerged: Uncle Venner (comic relief) and Cousin Phoebe (Shirley Temple) - an angel, apparently. The pace continues to be deliberate.

The only way I can get through this book is by semi-skimming. So far, I have to say that the idea that this is classic literature is laughable. If I'd been the editor, I'd have told NH he had to eliminate five out of every twenty words - his choice - or the book wouldn't be published. I haven't yet decided whether to lower my rating to a 2* or not. Amid all the heavy description and opinion, there's a reasonably entertaining story if the author would just get on with it! There's not enough dialogue, just seemingly endless Hawthorne blah-blah.

My fast-reading technique is moving me along, but it's still tedious. I need to give the author some credit, however. He is attempting to make a point about how old ways of thinking, being, and acting that are ill-suited to happiness in life can persist in a family or society. Psychic and social rigidity, and that old dark past, can bring down the living. The characters are literally and figuratively living in the house of a long-dead man. The book is full of symbols - of course - with the house being the most prominent, but there are plenty of others: the chickens, the shop, the portrait of the Colonel, the daguerreotypes, and so on.

Now, how reasonable is it for us readers not to wonder WHY! Phoebe isn't even a little bit curious about where Clifford has been all these years and why. It's not believable that it can be such a big secret - it's common knowledge, isn't it?

I skimmed my way to the end last night. If this book had been edited down to half its size, that would have been about right. I suppose there are those who have no trouble reading verbally overstuffed 19th-century novels, but I've struggled with some of them. Some I've loved. Hawthorne seems to be the father of Henry James - EEK! Anyway, everything turns out all right, as we all knew it would.

What's up with the mesmerism silliness?

Hey Nat! We KNOW the judge is a villain!

The picture - gee, who'd've thought THAT might be the maguffin? Like... everybody!

It's very tempting to give this book a rating that'll round down to 2*, but I don't have the heart for it. Hawthorne is a New England icon and a Bowdoin grad. I give him points for his beautiful (if endless) descriptions of the garden, the well, the chickens, etc. So, 2.75* rounds up to 3*.

It taught me a great deal in terms of reading, but at the same time, it had a strange charm that ultimately won me over.

This experience was truly remarkable. The way it enhanced my reading skills was nothing short of amazing. I learned so many new things and expanded my knowledge.

Moreover, that unique charm it possessed was simply irresistible. It had a certain allure that kept pulling me in and made me want to explore more.

Overall, it was a wonderful encounter that I will always remember. A full review will be coming soon to share more details about this extraordinary experience.

This book is truly remarkable.

It quietly packs a powerful punch and is far superior to "The Scarlet Letter".

The story within its pages unfolds in a captivating manner, drawing the reader in and keeping them engaged from start to finish.

The characters are well-developed, with their own unique personalities and motives that drive the plot forward.

The writing style is smooth and engaging, making it a pleasure to read.

Unlike "The Scarlet Letter", which can sometimes feel a bit dry and outdated, this book has a modern sensibility that makes it accessible to a wider audience.

It explores themes such as love, loss, and redemption in a way that is both thought-provoking and emotionally resonant.

Overall, this book is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a good story that will leave them with a lasting impression.

If you like to take your time to stop and contemplate the wonders of the landscape, this is the book for you.

Hawthorne's writing is so meticulous and pictorial that it turns out to be as precious as an oil painting.

I would have liked to experience more suspense and I must admit that the horror part is not as present as I would have expected, but it is worth trying to get to know the House of the Seven Gables and its cursed history.

This book offers a unique opportunity to immerse oneself in a world of mystery and beauty.

The descriptions of the house and its surroundings are so vivid that you can almost feel as if you are standing there.

Although the story may not be as thrilling as some might hope, it still has its charm and吸引力.

It makes you think about the past and how it can affect the present.

Overall, it is a book that is well worth reading for those who appreciate good writing and a touch of the supernatural.

I embarked on reading this book after my visit to Salem, MA, where I toured the very house that served as the inspiration for this captivating story.

Thanks to this experience, I could vividly picture the house as I delved into the pages, which was truly a delight. The initial 100 pages or so were not too shabby, but in my humble opinion, a significant portion of the middle could have been omitted. It dragged on at such a sluggish pace that it felt like it could have been written with approximately 100 fewer pages.

Nevertheless, I persisted and plodded through it because, after all, it is a classic, and my curiosity burned to know how the story would ultimately conclude. All along, I had been thinking that I would rate it a 2, but in the end, I did appreciate the way everything was neatly pulled together. However, it is one of the rare books where I was overjoyed when I finally reached the end.

The fact that Hawthorne was a descendant of one of the judges who sentenced men and women to be hanged as witches was mentioned during our tour of the house and again in the afterword of my edition. This is an intriguing tidbit that partially explains why Hawthorne chose this particular topic and plot. If only he had managed to make the story flow more briskly.

I really liked it even though some parts become too slow because of the extremely long descriptions.

I don't consider it a horror book. It is rather a drama. However, there is an aura of mystery throughout the book that surrounds the family due to a curse, but it's not anything disturbing.

The detailed descriptions, although sometimes causing the pace to lag, also add a rich texture to the story. They allow the reader to fully immerse in the world created by the author.

The concept of the curse gives an element of enigma to the family's story, making it more engaging. Despite not being a traditional horror, the mystery keeps the reader intrigued and eager to uncover the secrets.

Overall, it's a book that offers a unique blend of drama and mystery, with its own charm and allure.

I loved it from beginning to end.

It has a unique narrator who not only tells you the story but also shares his thoughts about it and everything that his characters might be thinking.

Undoubtedly, it is an unforgettable book with a well-rounded ending.

The way the narrator weaves the tale, providing both the objective narrative and the subjective insights, makes the reading experience truly immersive.

You can almost feel as if you are inside the minds of the characters, experiencing their joys, sorrows, and conflicts along with them.

The story unfolds in a captivating manner, keeping you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.

And when you reach the end, you are left with a sense of satisfaction and a longing to return to the world that the author has created.

This book is a must-read for anyone who loves a good story with depth and complexity.

I've long been a die-hard fan of Moby Dick. So, I naively assumed that I'd also be a big fan of other nineteenth-century prose from New England, given its penchant for excessive description and verbosity. However, that wasn't the case at all. Maybe I just have a special soft spot in my heart for Melville.

I recalled enjoying The Scarlet Letter back in school. But The House of the Seven Gables was truly uninspiring. Another reviewer described the book as a kind of lame Puritan ghost story, and that's a remarkably apt description. Although I have more respect for Puritans than such an epithet implies. Apart from the conclusion, which had a momentary excitement similar to a murder mystery (and in my mind, saved it from getting a one-star rating), the plot was stale, dusty, and, to use a word that must have appeared several dozen times in the book, torpid.

Hawthorne has some ideas about the need to describe things that I simply can't support. Things took a serious nosedive at the line, \\"All hens are well worth studying...\\", which was then followed by a painful excursus on a \\"wizened\\" and \\"venerable\\" chicken and its parents in chapter 10. The author eventually confesses, \\"We linger too long, no doubt, beside this paltry rivulet of life that flowed through the garden of the Pyncheon House.\\" Yes, indeed. A snarky Grumpy Cat meme would be more than appropriate at this point.

Two things will forever stand out from my reading of this classic literature:

(1) The most horrible description of a beard I've ever come across:

\\"Owing, however, to a somewhat massive accumulation of animal substance about the lower region of his face, the look was, perhaps, unctuous rather than spiritual, and had, so to speak, a kind of fleshly effulgence, not altogether so satisfactory as he doubtless intended it to be.\\"

Ugh! That makes me want to shave immediately.

(2) He spends an entire chapter describing what a dead man does not do for about eighteen hours. AN. ENTIRE. CHAPTER. A few sentences might have been a satisfactory gloat. A paragraph or two might have been cute, bordering on annoying. But an entire chapter? It's roughly 5% of the entire novel. I'm simply at a loss for words.