Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Airmont (1965), Paperback, 288 pages
Description
Classic Literature. Fiction. Short Stories. HTML: The author of such short-fiction masterpieces as Young Goodman Brown and The Minister's Black Veil, Nathaniel Hawthorne is regarded as one of the most significant American writers of the nineteenth century. This volume collects many of his most famous short works and is a fitting compendium of his literary achievements for newcomers or longtime Hawthorne fans alike..
User reviews
LibraryThing member MrsLee
I liked this very much. I'm ging to quote a reviewer, William Wadsworth Longfellow, because he captured my ideas and feelings about this book perfectly.
"Prose Written by a Poet, In the stream of thought, which flows so deep and clear through the pages of this book, we see the bright reflection of a
My personal favorite of all the stories is "The Minister's Black Veil."
"Prose Written by a Poet, In the stream of thought, which flows so deep and clear through the pages of this book, we see the bright reflection of a
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spiritual star...It comes from the hand of a man of genius...The book, though in prose, is written never-the-less by a poet...A calm, thoughtful face seems to be looking at you from every page, with now a pleasant smile, and now a shade of sadness..."My personal favorite of all the stories is "The Minister's Black Veil."
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LibraryThing member brose72
Collection of stories by Nathaniel Hawthorne
LibraryThing member AliceAnna
Many of the stories are very heavy-handed in their messaging, but they are an interesting collection of early Americana. Much of the work has a supernatural bent which surprised me. I liked a few of the stories, but many came across as preachy or moralistic. The ones I liked best exposed hypocrisy
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-- go figure! Show Less
LibraryThing member KurtWombat
As precious a book to me as there is. Each story gently folds back layer by layer revealing a hidden truth or fear or hope or love at it's heart. Though written in the early 1800's, the sense and perspective is not strictly masculine. Hawthorne inhabits and coveys both genders with equal delicacy
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and strength. Can be read as simple entertainment or left on the tounge to discern deeper flavors than readily apparent. Such a master of the short story form that to write anything longer seems a waste of time...until you read the Scarlet Letter or House of the Seven Gables...both wonderful and conveying the same majesty of narration and smooth drifting prose. Pity if we forget the masters. Show Less
LibraryThing member scottjpearson
Hawthorne is known for his cataloging the Puritan history and culture of New England in fictionalized format. This volume of short stories does exactly that. Hawthorne writes tales about conscience and rebellion against the King of England, about the follies of financial success and the
I grew up in the American South in an evangelical home. The church taught me moral hand-wringing that allows me to relate to the characters in Hawthorne’s tales. Although the Southern Protestantism of my youth was more driven by financial prosperity than that of Puritan New England, Hawthorne’s critique still rings true in modern America. His characters are utterly human.
What’s great about Hawthorne is that he is able to express this critique in entertaining form. His stories make us laugh because they are so common to our experience. Although the florid language is foreign to modern parlance and takes a while to adjust to, the pointed illustrations of human nature are enduring. These people are American people. With a little adaptation, they could be our neighbors – or even ourselves. That makes Hawthorne a joy to read.
These short stories were originally published in magazines and are compiled in book form (hence the title of being “twice told”). They are perhaps the broadest application of Hawthorne’s style. The Scarlet Letter and The House of Seven Gables are more in-depth looks at New England’s Puritan past and how that past still haunts the present. This work avoids such depth. It favors a broad look at a myriad of personalities. It delights as it teaches us about our most important subject – ourselves.
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shortcomings of moral excess.I grew up in the American South in an evangelical home. The church taught me moral hand-wringing that allows me to relate to the characters in Hawthorne’s tales. Although the Southern Protestantism of my youth was more driven by financial prosperity than that of Puritan New England, Hawthorne’s critique still rings true in modern America. His characters are utterly human.
What’s great about Hawthorne is that he is able to express this critique in entertaining form. His stories make us laugh because they are so common to our experience. Although the florid language is foreign to modern parlance and takes a while to adjust to, the pointed illustrations of human nature are enduring. These people are American people. With a little adaptation, they could be our neighbors – or even ourselves. That makes Hawthorne a joy to read.
These short stories were originally published in magazines and are compiled in book form (hence the title of being “twice told”). They are perhaps the broadest application of Hawthorne’s style. The Scarlet Letter and The House of Seven Gables are more in-depth looks at New England’s Puritan past and how that past still haunts the present. This work avoids such depth. It favors a broad look at a myriad of personalities. It delights as it teaches us about our most important subject – ourselves.
Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Horror: The 100 Best Books (1837)
Language
Original publication date
1837
1851
Physical description
288 p.; 7 inches
ISBN
0804900663 / 9780804900669
Local notes
Airmont Classics