| Author |
Hawthorne, Nathaniel, 1804-1864 |
| Title |
The House of the Seven Gables
|
| Note |
Reading ease score: 64.8 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read.
|
| Credits |
Judith Boss. HTML version by Al Haines.
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| Summary |
"The House of the Seven Gables" by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a novel written in the mid-19th century. The story revolves around the Pyncheon family, particularly focusing on the struggles of Miss Hepzibah Pyncheon, who is faced with the challenge of reviving her family's once-grand ancestral home that has fallen into decay and obscurity. Hawthorne weaves themes of guilt, retribution, and the haunting consequences of past sins throughout the tale. At the start of the narrative, we are introduced to the old Pyncheon house, a symbol of the family's history and legacy, which stands ominously on Pyncheon Street. The opening chapters describe the weight of its past, including a family curse tied to the injustices of its founders, leading up to present-day struggles faced by its last living descendants. Miss Hepzibah, now alone in the dilapidated mansion, prepares to open a shop to earn a living, a situation that evokes both pity and humor as she grapples with her identity and societal expectations. The atmosphere is tinged with melancholy as she confronts her place in a changing world, while the specter of the family’s troubled history looms large over her fate. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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| Language |
English |
| LoC Class |
PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature
|
| Subject |
Historical fiction
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| Subject |
Domestic fiction
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| Subject |
Paranormal fiction
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| Subject |
Haunted houses -- Fiction
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| Subject |
Salem (Mass.) -- Fiction
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| Category |
Text |
| EBook-No. |
77 |
| Release Date |
Aug 1, 1993 |
| Most Recently Updated |
Jul 27, 2021 |
| Copyright Status |
Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads |
1637 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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