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The House of the Seven Gables

(Norton Critical Edition)

By Nathaniel Hawthorne

(27)

| Paperback | 9780393924763

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Book Description

This all-new edition of Hawthorne's celebrated 1851 novel is based on The Ohio State University Press's Centenary Edition of the Works of Nathaniel Hawthorne. It is accompanied by thorough explanatory annotations and an insightful introduction to the novel and antebellum culture by Robert S. Continue

This all-new edition of Hawthorne's celebrated 1851 novel is based on The Ohio State University Press's Centenary Edition of the Works of Nathaniel Hawthorne. It is accompanied by thorough explanatory annotations and an insightful introduction to the novel and antebellum culture by Robert S. Levine.

"Contexts" brings together a generous selection of primary materials intended to provide readers with background on the novel's central themes. Historical documents include accounts of Salem's history by Thomas Maule, Robert Calef, Joseph B. Felt, and Charles W. Upham, which Hawthorne drew on for The House of the Seven Gables. The importance of the house in antebellum America—as a manifestation of the body, a site of genealogical history, and a symbol of the republic's middle class—is explored through the diverse writings of William Andrus Alcott, Edgar Allan Poe, and J. H. Agnew, among others. The impact of technological developments on the novel, especially of daguerreotypy, is considered through the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Gustave de Beaumont, and Alexis de Tocqueville, among others. Also included are two of Hawthorne's literary sketches—"Alice Doane's Appeal" and "The Old Apple Dealer"—that demonstrate the continuity of Hawthorne's style, from his earlier periodical writing to his later career as a novelist.

"Criticism" provides a comprehensive overview of the critical commentary on the novel from its publication to the present. Among the twenty-seven critics represented are Herman Melville, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Henry James, Nina Baym, Eric Sundquist, Richard H. Millington, Alan Trachtenberg, Amy Schrager Lang, and Christopher Castiglia.

A Chronology and Selected Bibliography are also included.

About the Series: No other series of classic texts equals the caliber of the Norton Critical Editions. Each volume combines the most authoritative text available with the comprehensive pedagogical apparatus necessary to appreciate the work fully. Careful editing, first-rate translation, and thorough explanatory annotations allow each text to meet the highest literary standards while remaining accessible to students. Each edition is printed on acid-free paper and every text in the series remains in print. Norton Critical Editions are the choice for excellence in scholarship for students at more than 2,000 universities worldwide.

2 Reviews

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  • 1 person find this helpful

    I think this book is overlooked by many. Instead, it's just amazing! The way Hawthorne describes scenes, places and people, the incredible wit and sharpness in his observations, the way he sometimes lingers for pages on a single scene to involve us in the macabre, chilling stillness of it, or to sim ... (continue)

    I think this book is overlooked by many. Instead, it's just amazing! The way Hawthorne describes scenes, places and people, the incredible wit and sharpness in his observations, the way he sometimes lingers for pages on a single scene to involve us in the macabre, chilling stillness of it, or to simply mock a character- is amazing. The characters are so hopeless, gloomy, forlorn, and yet so alive and heroic. I still think of poor old Hepzibah with affection, and I kind of miss her. Highly recommended. I wish I could go see the real house in Salem, which belonged to Hawthorne's relatives, and had only four gables at his time. The seven gables were added back in early 20th century when the house was turned into a museum, and even a cent-shop like the one run by Hepzibah in the novel was built.

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    Valeria said on Mar 3, 2008 | Add your feedback

  • A time capsule

    Wordy, pedantic, familial soap-opera... yes, yes, and yes.

    As much is made of Hawthorne's mastery of the English language, his style doesn't translate to the modern reader terribly well in The House of the Seven Gables. Many reviews here criticize the slow-moving story line, frequent digress ... (continue)

    Wordy, pedantic, familial soap-opera... yes, yes, and yes.

    As much is made of Hawthorne's mastery of the English language, his style doesn't translate to the modern reader terribly well in The House of the Seven Gables. Many reviews here criticize the slow-moving story line, frequent digressions, and over-abundance of adjectives. Be that as it may, it's a wonderful period view of New England society. I, too, found the first half to be difficult going much of the way, but the detailed snapshot of life in the mid-19th century kept me going.

    It's not a horror story, it's a time capsule.

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    Andyberschauer said on Oct 27, 2009 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

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