the house of the seven gables oxford worlds classi more fun than i thought it would be

2

Click here to load reader

Upload: lisaq665

Post on 12-Jul-2015

292 views

Category:

Entertainment & Humor


0 download

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: The house of the seven gables oxford worlds classi   more fun than i thought  it would be

The House of the Seven Gables (Oxford Worlds Classics) by

Nathaniel Hawthorne

More Fun Than I Thought It Would Be

The sins of one generation are visited upon another in a haunted New

England mansion until the arrival of a young woman from the country

breathes new air into mouldering lives and rooms. Written shortly after

The Scarlet Letter, The House of the Seven Gables re-addresses the

theme of human guilt in a style remarkable in both its descriptive virtuosity and its truly modern mix of fantasy and realism.

Personal Review: The House of the Seven Gables (Oxford Worlds Classics) by Nathaniel Hawthorne 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,

Page 2: The house of the seven gables oxford worlds classi   more fun than i thought  it would be

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.

For More 5 Star Customer Reviews and Lowest Price: The House of the Seven Gables (Oxford Worlds Classics) by Nathaniel Hawthorne 5 Star

Customer Reviews and Lowest Price!