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    The House of the Seven Gables
    The House of the Seven Gables
    The House of the Seven Gables
    Ebook385 pages6 hours

    The House of the Seven Gables

    By Nathaniel Hawthorne and Michael Boughn

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    Hypocrisy, witchcraft, murder and betrayal are the recurring themes in The House of the Seven Gables. It is the story of a curse. Moreover, it is based on the tradition of a curse pronounced on author's own family.


    In mid-19th century Salem, Massachusetts, Judge Jaffrey Pyncheon is determined to find the property deeds of his rich uncle, seemingly murdered by his cousin Clifford. His machinations and their effect on the rest of the family, together with the consequences of past misdeeds that come back to haunt the action, make this great novel comparable to The Scarlet Letter. 
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherWordsworth Editions
    Release dateOct 27, 2014
    ISBN9781848705906
    Author

    Nathaniel Hawthorne

    Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804–1864) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and biographer. His work centres on his New England home and often features moral allegories with Puritan inspiration, with themes revolving around inherent good and evil. His fiction works are considered part of the Romantic movement and, more specifically, Dark romanticism.

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    Reviews for The House of the Seven Gables

    3.5/5

    63 ratings63 reviews

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    • 3/5
      I found it a bit of a slog but still worth the read. Most interesting were details or expressions that I thought wouldn't have been around in 1851. A description of a Cunard ship bringing news from Europe brought a smile to my face.
    • 3/5
      What an odd little story. Nathaniel Hawthorne's second fictional foray into Puritanical New England has the frame of a story — a family curse, an unsolved mystery, a pair of lovers, a properly solemn and hauntworthy mansion — but I find the plot recedes to secondary importance next to the character sketches. These are richly drawn, with whole chapters devoted to the examination of one person's inner workings. The story is an exploration of revenge, atonement, ghosts, mystery, and money. Far in the past, there was a dispute over the land on which the Pyncheon house was built. The harsh Puritan Colonel Pyncheon used his influence to have his opponent, Matthew Maule, executed for witchcraft. Maule cursed the Pyncheon family ("God will give you blood to drink!"), and Colonel Pyncheon died alone in his study the night of the housewarming — choking on his own blood. The present-day mystery comes in with the loss of the deeds to Indian territory that would make the Pyncheons rich again; did Maule's curse destroy them, too? The current descendants of the Pyncheon line are less imposing, but no less interesting. I'll never forget Hawthorne's opening portrait of Hepzibah Pyncheon, the quintessential old maid of an old family, with all the dignity and hidden torture of poverty. She is not beautiful, is Hepzibah, and her redeeming qualities of faithfulness and compassion are tempered by others less attractive, like querulousness, weakness, and lack of imagination. She is, quite simply, human.Clifford Pyncheon, Hepzibah's older brother, is finally home after a long imprisonment for the murder of his uncle many years before. His mind is broken and he is a pathetic aesthete, loving beautiful things but twisted by the ugliness of his life's realities. He is another facet of the mystery, because the reader doesn't learn why he was imprisoned (and whether or not he committed the crime) until the very end.Into this oppressive atmosphere comes the young and lovely Phoebe, a distant cousin in the Pyncheon family tree who soon becomes indispensable to her older relations. Of Phoebe I have less to say; she is quite a winning creature on the pages of the book, but Hepzibah is by far the more memorable. Holgrave, the lodger, is another interesting character, but he too recedes behind a more flamboyantly drawn character, Judge Jaffrey Pyncheon. In Jaffrey Pyncheon the harsh and unrelenting spirit of old Colonel Pyncheon lives again, but this time under a highly respectable guise. Hawthorne spends quite a bit of time on Jaffrey, turning him this way and that, trying to pierce the inequities and deficiencies of soul that could produce such a moral monster. I found these examinations to be some of the most riveting passages of the novel. But then, Hawthorne has always been able to fascinate me with his character studies... I've actually read The Scarlet Letter both for a college assignment and then again later for pleasure (strange, I know). There's just something magnetic about his prose and how he so easily navigates the inner lives of his characters. He makes me believe in them. I have a more charitable view of the Puritans than does Hawthorne, who counted among his ancestors some who played a role in the Salem Witch trials. The Puritans are people like anyone else, and the notorious members of their tribe always seem to overshadow the Puritan men and women of true godliness and spirituality. What I have read of the Puritans' religious writings has been sterling, despite the popular image they bear of self-righteous cruelty.I'm not sure I will revisit this book; for all its atmospheric settings and unforgettable characters, it hangs together oddly somehow. Not sure why.
    • 4/5
      The aspect of the venerable mansion has always affected me like a human countenance, bearing the traces not merely of outward storm and sunshine, but expressive also, of the long lapse of mortal life, and accompanying vicissitudes that have passed within.Anthropomorphic from the first page, a theme of that will be revisited and augmented throughout, this is how Nathaniel Hawthorne describes the structure that can be considered the title character in his 1851 novel The House of the Seven Gables. The opening chapter is so full of Gothic dread and supernatural nuance that readers attuned to weird fiction are immediately drawn in. Hawthorne spells out the accursed nature of the House, and the foreboding undercurrent in an eerie, ominous tone. And when Maule’s curse upon Colonel Pynchon is brought to bear so quickly upon the old family patriarch, we know that this is a most powerful curse indeed, to be carried across generations to come. But that level of intensity is not sustained throughout the novel. The plot is scant, and slow to develop. But Hawthorne shows his literary skills with illuminating characterizations, most notably the portrait of the old maid Hepzibah: a remarkable insight into the clockwork of misery and fear, insecurity and pain, anxiety and misgivings inside this tragic figure; and young Phoebe, who embodies sunshine, light, life, and hope, thereby standing in stark contrast to Hepzibah (and the house itself). Hawthorne’s writing is quite wordy, and while it sometimes enables that aforementioned depth of characterization, more often it seems unnecessarily labored. Recommended as an interesting, if flawed, early effort in the annals of supernatural literature.
    • 4/5
      Still a classic.
    • 4/5
      An American classic. A deep novel, but read shallowly for its mood, setting and history, I enjoyed it, anyway. A house, splendid in its time, but cursed from the beginning, exacts its revenge on the succeeding generations of the family whose forbear did wrong. Wonderful characterization, witty, extremely descriptive. But the ending didn’t hang together for me. Perhaps if I’d taken it more slowly and dug more deeply. Ah well, I’m glad to have finally read it, and enjoyed it very much.
    • 5/5
      They just don't come like this any more. The House of the Seven Gables is a book that will take time to read, but is well worth it for the historical events, language, and thought. Relationships between characters are interesting and the history of the house itself brings you far deeper into the story than you could imagine. There is no one plot here, but several moving around and shifting all at once; each character having their own story told to its conclusion. If ever you wanted to pick up a book for the single purpose of diving in to complex language and thought, into deep feelings and actions related to such, this is one of those books. There are scenes and images that will remain with you as beautiful, heart warming, or sad, all the way throughout. Inspiration for writers and thinkers can come from these pages, don't be modern and rush through each page. This is a book best read in time, as if you were living in the days when books were the television of the era. Set aside your schedule for a little while each day and go back in time. You'll be glad you did.
    • 3/5
      I liked Hepzibah. And Hawthorne's descriptions are vivid and pleasing to the mind's eye. Those are the only nice things I can think of to say about this book. Hawthorne's narrative is rambling and I still can't tell you what the hell the plot was of the book. Completely and utterly forgettable. This saddens me since I enjoyed The Scarlet Letter and love what short stories of his I've read.
    • 3/5
      This is an artistic attempt at a horror story. The wording is laboriously detailed regarding pointless information. The story in some aspects is predictable. The characters are well developed and the story line is somewhat interesting. I mildly recommend this book.
    • 4/5
      The House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel HawthorneThis is the story of the Pyncheon family that is slowly becoming extinct. We meet Hepzibah Pyncheon, poor and old, who lives alone in the family mansion. This house was built with seven gables, thus the title. Without funds Hepzibah opens a penny shop to earn money to live on. Other characters in this tale are her brother Clifford, imprisoned because of the acts of Jaffrey Pyncheon, a wealthy judge who lives in his own country manor and is determined to find an ancient deed to other Pyncheon property.When the penny shop seems to be failing the young Phoebe Pyncheon appears. She is a lovely, vivacious, and enthusiastic young woman who lives in the country and has come to visit her cousins. She enjoys running the penny store and brightens the gloomy atmosphere in the house. When Clifford returns from prison she entertains him with her charms. In addition she meets Holgrave, a young boarder in the house and romance blossoms.This story is often considered a romance but I think it is more a story about the Pyncheon family and the curse it endured. Hawthorne sets the stage by giving us an overview of how the original Pyncheon obtained the property and built the house. His actions brought about a curse from the original land owner that is to last throughout the family's existence.There are ghosts and strange occurrences in the house and we are exposed to the lives of former residents. But life improves for the current residents when another tragedy strikes the Pyncheon family, particularly the judge. Hepzibah and Clifford temporarily leave their ancestral home. It all comes to a climax as the author weaves the tale into an ending that is unexpected but makes the reader smile. Many like to look at the symbolism used to represent aspects of the human condition. I have never been certain that Hawthorne chose to approach the novel in this manner. Nevertheless I like this tale more each time I read it.
    • 3/5
      Ok, I wanted to like this. I've never made it through a novel of Hawthorne, even though I really like his short stories. Usually I can forgive weak points in the story for the quality of writing, but this book left me cold. And it's not that it's a bad story or the writing is bad, but something about the juxtaposition of the two started making me impatient.
    • 2/5
      This is the first book I ever read in highschool that I did not finish. I have been eyeing this book for awhile and decided to give it another shot, but this time in audio. Recently I've been enjoying relistening to the classics. The Count of Monte Cristo made by Best of 2009 list. This book, is not going to make it the Mediocre of 2010 awards. The plot was interesting, a bit of a ghost story combined with a view of colonial America. I just couldn't stomach Hawthorne's indirect style. I love the way Dickens goes off on a tangent. He throws in a subtle sense of humor with his long descriptions. But Hawthorne just seems to meander along. Am I missing something? I am proud that I finished the book - probably wouldn't have accomplished this without audio!
    • 3/5
      The House of the Seven Gables is another one of those "must read" classics that has sat on my "to read" list for years. I actually read and enjoyed The Scarlet Letter in High School (and have read it a few times since then). I've read a few of Hawthorne's short stories and generally enjoyed them, though I can honestly admit to finding some of them exceedingly dry. Unfortunately, I also found Seven Gables to be a bit dry for my taste.The premise of the book sounded very promising to me. A centuries-old house haunted by ghosts of generations following greedy land grabbing and mysterious deaths/murders. An old spinster and a young girl/lady work together to try and revitalize the house and the family. The setting and the backstory work to bring the Gothic Horror genre to early America. In spite of the Gothic tone suggested by the synopsis, Hawthorne touts the story as a Romance. In fact, I found very little "Gothic Horror" or "romance" in the story. I suppose it could be deemed a "romance" in the more broad sense of romanticising an idea or an era. There were possibilities of conventional romance between the young Phoebe and the boarder staying at the house. In fact the book seemed like it tried to swing in that direction once or twice but was repressed by the situations.The book begins with the building of the home in colonial times by Colonel Pyncheon, a renown soldier who helped in the Salem witch trials and other similar events. The Colonel receives the property for his house in what some claim to be ill-founded circumstances and shortly after the home is completed, the Colonel is found dead in his study. Generations later, the story picks up with the spinster Hepzibah Pyncheon opening a penny store out of the side of the house. She has also taken on a boarder to try and bring in some income. The boarder is a mysterious daguerreotypist (a precursor/cousin vocation to photography) named Holgrave. It is suggested that Holgrave is a wizard or some other practitioner of "dark arts." A teenage cousin Phoebe Pyncheon shows up out of the blue to stay at the house and shortly afterwards Hepzibah's brother Clifford also shows up. Phoebe is naive, optimistic and innocent. Hepzibah is grizzly, reticent and gloomy. Clifford is eccentric and confusing...he seems to be mentally struggling due to some earlier trauma. Together, the three of them make for very interesting residents to the home. From the other end of town another cousin, the Judge Pyncheon, visits from time to time to try and convince Hepzibah to essentially give him the house and property and for the three of them to come and live with him. We're not told why, but Hepzibah vehemently abhors the suggestion and constantly throws the Judge out of the house with whatever insults she can come up with.The story progresses with some very wonderful descriptions of the town, the house and the inhabitants. We learn a lot of very intricate details about the furnishings of the house, the clothing of the people, the art and decorations of the area and the nearby vegetitation. We casually observe the rather mundane actions of the characters as they go through the commonplace motions of life. And yet the author keeps us at arm's length from any real action or information concerning the true tension between the characters. There are ongoing suggestions of a problematic and potentially violent history between the Judge and Clifford. There are numerous insinuations into the dark nature of Holgrave. But for page after page no action occurs to substantiate any of the rumors or bring any validity to the anxiety trying to be created.Near the end of the novel we finally do have a rather abrupt confrontation with dramatic results. The characters involved are immediately confused and unsure what to do and so the results are unexpected and impetuous. The action rambles on for a few pages more and then everything calmly resolves itself and life returns more or less to normal.Thinking about the book as coming from the mid 19th century, I can definitely appreciate the attention to detail and the very subtle nuances and slow investigation of life. As an English major, I can try to put all sorts of symbolism on the house and the characters in an effort to make the story more interesting. I do not doubt at all that Hawthorne may have had some secondary mode in mind as he laid out the characters and events of the story. I'm sure there are some compelling and valid close readings of the book. But in my initial reading I found the story overly dry thanks to a lot of heavily descriptive sequences that had some great poetic flourishes but didn't serve to create tension, action or advance any sort of plot that I found compelling. As a story, the book is bogged down with details and nuance. As a symbolic or poetic work, it feels a little too guarded or obtuse. Perhaps a second reading would help, most likely with the aid of a Hawthorne expert or some commentary. But for the time being, I'm not really interested in a second reading. The characters were slightly interesting but not compelling enough for me to want to return to them any time soon. As one of the "Greatest American Novels", I'm not entirely sure how this one meets the criteria. I can appreciate the artistry but am not compelled by the overall result.***2.5 out of 5 stars(NOTE: I will likely re-read this with a closer reading or some commentary to try and better appreciate what Hawthorne is doing here)
    • 5/5
      The introduction tells us Hawthorne valued The House of Seven Gables even over The Scarlet Letter. I still prefer The Scarlet Letter, because I so love the character of Hester Prynne. But this definitely has qualities that deserve it to be thought of as in the first rank of 19th century American literature, and I greatly enjoyed the read. And indeed this tale of a family curse is, believe it or not, a lot sunnier than The Scarlet Letter.There so much that's rich here. The vocabulary, the imagery and certain scenes are burned into my memory--particularly that of Judge Pynchon seated in a certain oak chair. It would take Hitchcock or Spielberg to do justice to that scene. And poor Hepzibah and Clifford are such vivid characters--even minor secondary characters like the small urchin Ned Higgins who provides some of the humor in the story. Phoebe alas is only the usual 19th century heroine, such an angel you expect birds to weave ribbons into her hair. I found the romance fairly predictable. But there's a lot more to the book than that. I especially found interesting the theme--touched upon by both Clifford and Holgrave--of how the weight of history, ancestry, heredity, even just the stones of an old manse can crush individuals and families beneath them.
    • 3/5
      Synopsis:"Nathaniel Hawthorne's gripping psychological drama concerns the Pyncheon family, a dynasty founded on pious theft, who live for generations under a dead man's curse until their house is finally exorcised by love."

      Initially I found myself very pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book set in 19th century Puritan New England. There was an eerie quality, a quiet subtle sense of  suspense that drew me to find answers without a heart pounding urgency to solve the mysteries behind the inhabitants of the house. I was slowly drawn into the riddles of the Pyncheon family. What is the identity of the boarder in the house and how does he fit into the picture? What has so saddened those gentle people living there? Why is such fear and loathing shown towards their cousin,  Judge Pyncheon? What could possibly have been done to them to bring them to these straits?

      Hawthorne painted such a vivid picture of Hepzibah Pycheon, the aged owner of the house who finds herself trapped by her heritage and beaten down by life and her fall from a wealthy gentile life to one where she finds herself with the necessity to now earn her own bread although totally ill-equipped 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 picture this woman, I know her and although I could not love her, I grew to admire tremendously yet also pitied her as the book progressed. Here was a woman who had withdrawn herself from society so totally as to be like the walking dead.  The cast of characters were each shown to be more flawed and damaged than the next one until we are introduced to Phoebe, a young, gay cousin arriving from the country, bringing life and a measure of happiness back into the house.  Hawthorne's beautiful prose flowed so smoothly that I just glided along with it.

      On the downside, there were portions of the book that were just a little too saccharine, almost wince causing:  " 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 started instead to cloy. I was losing patience and yearned for something to happen, anything at all, just get to it, give me some answers. When Hawthorne finally revealed the truth about his characters and their history it was anticlimactic, I had already guessed what his revelations would be so there was no surprise left for me.

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

      My rating: 3.5 out of 5*
    • 4/5
      I loved this book. Certainly it is wordy, heavy on description and detail, but still beautifully written.
    • 5/5
      I feel kind of silly reviewing a literary classic. Obviously, it's a great book. If you're looking for a description, it's a comic/tragic cautionary tale about how wealth corrupts even the most innocent and noble. Personally, I think it should be required reading for every single person in the world.
    • 3/5
      I listened to this book but it was a struggle because I really didn't like the narrator's voice. She seemed forced much of the time and it didn't help that the narrative, much of the time, seemed contrived.The premise of the family that owns the house, the Pyncheons, has been cursed by the original owner of the land, Mathew Maule, because he was accused of witchcraft by Colonel Pyncheon in order to get his hands on the property. The current owner, Hepzibah Pyncheon, has fallen on hard times and has had to open a shop in the house in order to earn some money. Hepzibah is not a very social woman and it is doubtful if she would have made a go of the shop if Phoebe, a distant relation, had not turned up. Phoebe helps with the shop. Then when Hepzibah's brother Clifford returns to the house from a long absence (possibly in jail) a broken man she helps with his care. She also spruces up the house and garden with some help from the lodger Holgrove who is a daguerrotypist. A cousin, Jaffrey Pyncheon, who has become quite wealthy and a judge shows up offering to help the family but he has an ulterior motive. When he is found dead, Clifford and Hepzibah flee the house making it look like Clifford has killed him. All comes right in the end but it seems to take a long time to do so.One more book to strike off the 1001 list but otherwise I didn't enjoy it.
    • 2/5
      I was bored to death. It felt like reading a journal, like a case study. Hawthorne really loves his adjectives, a lot of describing and less ACTION! (haha) Where's the ghosts? Where's the so-called "romance", not even a kiss! If the characters are trapped inside the HOUSE, the novel also had me trapped, it seemed to never end!!! It was too gloomy, sad, miserable and all of its synonyms!The last 3 chapters were actually bearable. Maybe because its nearing the end (hehe). Nice happy ending to a really really gloomy book.
    • 5/5
      It took me a really long time to get through this book, but I'm not really sure why. I enjoyed every moment of it and found the writing clever and accessible. I picked it up initially because I remembered enjoying The Scarlet Letter in highschool and wanted to revisit Hawthorne, but decided to read something I was completely unfamiliar with so that I could decide what my feelings were about his writing without being influenced by my experiences being taught it in school. I liked The House of the Seven Gables far more than I liked The Scarlet Letter, and had an excellent time getting to know the characters -- including the house itself, which functions very much like a character throughout the novel.The House of the Seven Gables is about the Pyncheon family and their family home, and mainly concerns elderly Hepzibah Pyncheon and her brother Clifford Pyncheon as they struggle against Judge Pyncheon who seeks to uncover a missing fortune. Their story is reflective of what we are told about the entire Pyncheon family history, and there are hints and connections placed around the book about their past and the infamous Pyncheon family curse.The story is suspenseful and moves along at a moderate pace, though we are given a lot of very pleasurable images of the house and the town and the smaller characters within it. Though it's a very serious book in most ways, there are instances of light-heartedness that I found very refreshing. Hawthorne's prose style is inviting and captivating. I'm excited to continue reading his work.
    • 3/5
      The House of the Seven Gables is a gothic novel, set in the 19th century. We are given the history of the house (built 160 prior to the main story) and the main inhabitants, the Pyncheon family. The house has been haunted since its construction by fraudulent dealings, accusations of witchcraft, and sudden death. The current resident, Hepzibah Pyncheon, opens a shop in a side room to support her brother Clifford, who is about to leave prison after serving thirty years for murder. A distant relative, young Phoebe, turns up and quickly becomes invaluable, the one bright spot in a gloomy dreary house. Themes of guilt, retribution, greed, curses and burden of family history are explored. I only mildly enjoyed this book—partly because I couldn’t really develop a strong attachment to any of the characters. I would give this novel a 21/2 out of 5 stars.
    • 5/5
      the American Gothic at its finest. Utterly finest.
    • 4/5
      The usual Hawthorne makes for some long sentences, but not necessarily unwieldy; it just takes a little more concentration than some. I enjoyed very much this story of an old house and the family that lives in (and through) it. It reminded me a little of Poe's Fall of the House of Usher. An enjoyable read, but just note that it's from an earlier era when we had longer attention spans.
    • 4/5
      The Pyncheons are an old, old family that is cursed by sins of past generations. Three of the remaining members of the family (2 of which are haunted by the past) live in the old family mansion. A fourth is a prominent judge with a deep secret to hide. The prose is dense and melodic and often dramatic--typical of Hawthorne (who self-styles this book a Romance). The book loses a few points for a certain lack of subtlety and a too-neat ending.
    • 4/5
      This story is about a poor woman and her cousin. I think this story is a little difficult. But I like this book.　
    • 3/5
      Pales in comparison with Hawthorne's masterpiece, The Scarlet Letter; however, if you're familiar with The Scarlet Letter, it is interesting to see how certain themes and symbols interact between the texts, especially Hawthorne's fascination/repulsion with his Puritan past.
    • 4/5
      Phoebe Pyncheon arrives at her cousin's old house to help her cousion Hepzibah. But thre is mystery in the house.In the story, landscape is calm and nice.The mysterious mood is also good.
    • 5/5
      Purchased in anticipation of a trip to Salem, MA to visit the actual House of the Seven Gables, I have to admit that I enjoyed this book far more than I thought I was going to. Written in 1851, The House of the Seven Gables is at once both a period romance and history of the Pyncheon family, focusing on a several week period of the lives of the current owner, Hepzibah Pyncheon, her brother Clifford, cousin Phoebe and their lodger, Holgrave. Themes of guilt and retribution run throughout the novel, as the histories of both the house and the Pyncheon and Maule families are all brought to light. Hawthorne relies heavily on not only his own family's history to help him build some of the plots in his novel, but also on the general history of the area, with aspects of the novel dating back to the Salem Witch Hysteria of 1692. The house has stood for centuries as a spectator to these happenings, and seems to be haunted by the ghosts of the suffering that has occurred within its halls.While suffering from many of what I see as familiar plot devices for its time (family secrets, hidden identities, convenient deaths and sudden marriages that let everyone live "happily ever after"), Hawthorne was still able to craft and wonderful and imaginative novel. While some of the descriptions may seem extraordinarily long by todays standards, I felt as though this added to the books charm. Some may find it hard to read, but if you let yourself be picked up by the story and not try to think your way through the book, you'll soon find yourself completely engrossed in poor Hepzibah's trials and tribulations.
    • 4/5
      I bought this book at the "Old Manse" in Concord, Massachusetts where Nathaniel Hawthorne lived for three years with his bride, Sophia Peabody. The house is wonderful to visit and seems alive with their presence --there are notes they wrote to each other etched in the glass using Sophia's diamond ring. The House of Seven Gables still sits in Salem, Massachusetts. The book is grossing in its finely drawn characters, quaint detail of daily life of the time and creation of an atmosphere of dread. The house is, itself, a character, witnessing from just after the Salem witch trials through one hundred and fifty years, the torment and decline of a family. The novel does suffer from the flaws of many novels of the period - a reliance on untimely deaths, inheritance of great wealth and sudden marriage. The narrative style also creates a distance from the characters' internal lives as though all has been observed on a stage. It is, however, compelling and very funny in parts. It would also be suitable for a teenager who enjoys tales of the occult since the conflict of the novel begins with the sentencing to death of a villager for the crime of witchcraft.
    • 2/5
      I've read a lot of classics but for some reason this was one of the hardest books I've ever read. I can't really say I enjoyed it much but I am glad of the accomplishment of having read it.
    • 4/5
      Delightful and haunting gothic novel.

    Book preview

    The House of the Seven Gables - Nathaniel Hawthorne

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