A Select Party by Nathaniel Hawthorne
"A Select Party" by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a whimsical piece of fiction written during the early to mid-19th century, reflecting the Romantic era's fascination with imagination and the sublime. This work presents a fantastical gathering in a mythical castle, constructed from clouds and light, where various notable figures from literature, history, and the realm of imagination convene to interact and celebrate. The likely topic of the book revolves around the exploration of
idealism versus reality, as well as the nature of memory, creativity, and the human experience. In the narrative, the Man of Fancy invites guests to his ethereal castle, each representing various ideals and traits. Among the diverse attendees are the Oldest Inhabitant, a figure embodying the history of human experience, a Master Genius awaited to create American literature, and other characters, both virtuous and shadowy. As the party unfolds, discussions reveal humorously stark contrasts between character archetypes—ideal heroes, whimsical chatterboxes, and unsettling phantoms of the past—that compel contemplation about the nature of human aspirations and disappointments. Ultimately, the gathering concludes abruptly with a thunderstorm, emphasizing the unpredictable nature of life and the tenuous grasp on the dreams and fantasies that linger in our consciousness. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Hawthorne, Nathaniel, 1804-1864 |
|---|---|
| Title | A Select Party |
| Note | From "Mosses From An Old Manse") |
| Credits | David Widger and Al Haines |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 49.1 (College-level). Difficult to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Short stories |
| Category | Text |
| EBook-No. | 9222 |
| Release Date | Nov 1, 2005 |
| Most Recently Updated | Nov 9, 2022 |
| Copyright Status | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 461 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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