Mosses from an Old Manse (Barnes & Noble Digital Library)

By Nathaniel Hawthorne

Published in 1846, this short-story collection contains some of Hawthorne's darkest allegories.  Herman Melville, reviewing the collection, wrote, "You may be witched by his sunlight . . . but there is the blackness of darkness beyond; and even his bright gildings but fringe and play upon the edges of thunder-clouds."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Barnes & Noble
• Release date: Feb 15, 2011
• ISBN: 9781411435827

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804–1864) was an American writer best known for his novels and short stories. Born in Massachusetts, Hawthorne was a descendant of some of the state’s earliest settlers. One of his ancestors, John Hathorne, was a judge during the infamous Salem witch trials. As a young man, Hawthorne attended Bowdoin College, where he met many notable figures including future president Franklin Pierce and poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. He then began his literary career as a magazine editor and sketch writer. Hawthorne would also produce novels such as Fanshawe, The House of the Seven Gables, and his most famous work, The Scarlet Letter.