Selected Tales and Sketches

by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Michael J. Colacurcio

Librarian Note: 31 Selections; Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780140390575

The short fiction of a writer who helped to shape the course of American literature.

With a determined commitment to the history of his native land, Nathaniel Hawthorne revealed, more incisively than any writer of his generation, the nature of a distinctly American consciousness. The pieces collected here deal with essentially American matters: the Puritan past, the Indians, the Revolution. But Hawthorne was highly – often wickedly – unorthodox in his account of life in early America, and his precisely constructed plots quickly engage the reader’s imagination. Written in the 1820s, 30s, and 40s, these works are informed by themes that reappear in Hawthorne’s longer works: The Scarlet Letter, The House of the Seven Gables and The Blithedale Romance. And, as Michael J. Colacurcio points out in his excellent introduction, they are themes that are now deeply embedded in the American literary tradition.
--back cover

Hollow of the Three Hills
Sir William Phips
Mrs. Hutchinson
Wives of the Dead
My Kinsman, Major Molineux
Roger Malvin's Burial
Passages from a Relinquished Work
Mr. Higginbotham's Catastrophe
Haunted Mind
Alice Doane's Appeal
Gray Champion
Young Goodman Brown
Wakefield
Notch of the White Mountains
Ambitious Guest
May-Pole of Merry Mount
Minister's Black Veil
Sunday at Home
Man of Adamant
Endicott and the Red Cross
Night Sketches
Legens of the Province-House
Hall of Fantasy
Birthmark
Egotism; or the Bosom-Serpent
Christmas Banquet
Celestial Railroad
Earth's Holocaust
Artist of the Beautiful
Rappacini’s Daughter
Ethan Brand

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories, Classics, Literature, American, 19th Century, Classic Literature

440 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1883

About the author

Nathaniel Hawthorne was a 19th century American novelist and short story writer. He is seen as a key figure in the development of American literature for his tales of the nation's colonial history.

Shortly after graduating from Bowdoin College, Hathorne changed his name to Hawthorne. Hawthorne anonymously published his first work, a novel titled Fanshawe, in 1828. In 1837, he published Twice-Told Tales and became engaged to painter and illustrator Sophia Peabody the next year. He worked at a Custom House and joined a Transcendentalist Utopian community, before marrying Peabody in 1842. The couple moved to The Old Manse in Concord, Massachusetts, later moving to Salem, the Berkshires, then to The Wayside in Concord. The Scarlet Letter was published in 1850, followed by a succession of other novels. A political appointment took Hawthorne and family to Europe before returning to The Wayside in 1860. Hawthorne died on May 19, 1864, leaving behind his wife and their three children.

Much of Hawthorne's writing centers around New England and many feature moral allegories with a Puritan inspiration. His work is considered part of the Romantic movement and includes novels, short stories, and a biography of his friend, the United States President Franklin Pierce.

Reviews

[Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nat Hawthorne making me itch to get back in the classroom. Puritans! Ghosts! Boats! Cloaks! Demonic Goats!

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fine collection of Hawthorne's short stories and sketches. Hawthorne created an all new genre for himself--he was a writer who loved the idea of historical fiction but was also quintessentially American--so he created a series of historical fiction and allegory stories set in the early years of a very young country. It is through his writings that readers of literature (for better or worse) learn of the character of his Puritan forefathers and of the long-unsettled feelings against Mother England years before the Revolution. Hawthorne is an unquestionable cornerstone of American fiction.

His stories follow a series of themes--the power of guilt on the human mind, the importance of history in the lives of the American people, human nature's knack for wanting just exactly what it shouldn't have, and, of course, the darkness that lies in the depths of man's nature. Some are notably great ("Young Goodman Brown," "The Minister's Black Veil," "The Artist of the Beautiful), Some are not so much ("The Hall of Fantasy," "Alice Doane's Appeal"). And some are just weird ("Rappaccini's Daughter"). However, this set of short stories does show the range and depth of his work. Also look out for a couple moments when he makes fun of the transcendentalists (take that, Emerson).

If you enjoyed Hawthorne's novels (but would love something shorter--come on, admit it, we all struggled with "The Scarlet Letter"), I would recommend this collection of short stories.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most people only think of The Scarlet Letter when they think of Hawthorne, but his short stories are amazing!

[Jesse Ascunce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hawthorne is the coolest. His allegories are mind blowing in these short stories. He always seems to leave me with an eerie feeling when I finish his creepy stories. For some reason...I like that.

[Daniel Walden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think Hawthorne wrote some of the best short stories of all time. Some are, but many are.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Will come back to it. Hawthorne's stories are thrillingly interesting to read!

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

«Shame on me, that I have attempted to describe it by so mean an image – feeling, as I do, that it is one of those symbolic scenes, which lead the mind to the sentiment, though not to the conception, of Omnipotence.»

Parables, in a spectacular manner; of a mind that speaks to the power of a young America, or this particular writer it crafted, so effortlessly able to return a favour of Creation, and the myths from which to bring a country forth. A collection of stories and mini-essays, held together by the singular, clean, rich prose of a man that conjures, and being conjured might have told us what new miracles he's witnessed since. Strongly recommended.

[Dale Lehman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this collection of stories difficult going, largely because of the archaic storytelling technique. I'm sure in Hawthorne's day these were easier to digest, but time has altered our expectations. Also, Hawthorne injects considerable allegory into these tales. In a few cases, the allegory seems to overwhelm the story itself. But again, that was likely par for the times in which they were told. The upshot, though, is that I don't feel entirely qualified to comment on them, except to say "Rappaccini's Daughter" is a brilliant tale, and "Ethan Brand" was my second favorite.

[A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hawthorne brilliantly combines Puritan history and morality with fables and fantasy. Highly recommended for anyone who has a lick of conscience or morality they need to live up to. The best story is The Artist of the Beautiful, the best exploration of a Platonic person attempting to bring the all-holy Idea down to earth.

[Ryan Baxter · Rating 4 out of 5]

rating based on just the following stories:
- My Kinsman, Major Molineux
- Roger Malvin's Burial
- Alice Doane's Appeal
- Young Goodman Brown
- The May-Pole of Merry Mount
- The Minister's Black Veil
- The Birthmark
- Rappaccini's Daughter

[Lorraine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is such a slog.

I like individual stories, but on the whole, tedium.

Nothing is as finely wrought as The Scarlet Letter, probably because these stories are so much shorter and because Hawthorne tends to wrap his stories up with a neat little moralizing sentence or two. Also zero humor. Ever.

Themes of religious hypocrisy, political freedom, the wilderness as opposed to civilization and religion, distrust of science and industrialization.

[Anthony Cordova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply a remarkable collection of short stories. The allegorical element is equal to the weird and fantastic elements in these tales, and with a true master's stroke.

[James Bechtel · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This compilation is one of my favorites and gives you a good taste of Hawthorne's works other than The Scarlet Letter.

[Emmanuel Betanzos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy Shit! I love this guy!

[John Kenworthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything I know about about literary criticism was learned in an amazing class on American Lit I took at the University of Colorado back in the 80s. The class itself was not so stunning. The teacher - if you can call him that - was an unenthusiastic resident assistant, and most of my classmates were bored beyond belief. They gorged themselves on Cliff Notes and Monarch Notes and tried to find the sycophantic path that the teacher was seeking from his bleary-eyed sheep.

The subject matter was standard American Lit stuff... and a large portion of it was Hawthorne. I had never really encountered his writing before, but I instantly loved it. What I loved more were the discussions lead by a rebellious class mate of mine named Amy Redford - daughter of Robert and now a brilliant filmmaker herself (The Guitar) - who passionately dissected the themes, and styles, and sheer technical writing with the most incredible display of literary acumen I have ever witnessed.

With my input from one side of the room and Amy's even more insightful commentary on the other - we unleashed a cataclysm of insight upon the great American authors - particularly Hawthorne. The teacher and our classmates knew not what hit them. For all of our deconstruction/reconstruction of the texts, the great Hawthorne's work not only survived but thrived within our oh-so-opinionated young minds.

Story by story we constantly uplifted the brilliance of the writer - and absolutely devoured his work: May Pole, Goodman Brown, the Minister's Black Veil - and particularly Rappaccini's Daughter among others. These discussions enabled the works to come alive to me and continue to do so to this day.

Regardless of our jaded contemporary ear for language, Hawthorne remains absolutely relevant and this is one of his greatest collections. For anyone who enjoys a good story - for any one who enjoys thrilling writing - this is a MUST READ. Hemingway, Twain, Steinbeck, Faulkner - sure - great American authors - but HAWTHORNE! Something a cut above.

And I have Amy Redford to thank for opening my eyes to that.

[John Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

If for no other reason than that you get a whole lot of Hawthorne wrapped up in this collection, it rocks. Most of Hawthorne's writing career was in writing what he called tales and sketches (what we might today just call short stories). Essentially, then, with the diversity of the selection in this collection, you get the full range of Hawthorne's interest and skill. Regardless of whether or not you like Hawthorne I suggest picking up this collection, to have as a reference at least--a reference to the American author that, more than any other skilled American author, wrote about the people and places of this fine country. I hate people who say that Hawthorne is good reading only as a critic of the culture and country of the States; I mean only that he included an incredible amount of American history, culture, and landmarks in his writing.

All the well-known and favorite stories of Hawthorne are here from, I think, all of his publications: Young Goodman Brown, Alice Doane's Appeal, The Ambitious Guest, The Celestial Railroad, Rappacini's Daughter, The Bosom-Serpent, and others. It's a long and great selection of pieces.

The introduction to this collection is worth reading, too. It's an introduction, which are never anything terribly special, but as far as introductions go, Hawthorne deserves an introduction. Hawthorne is so misunderstood, or not understood in any fashion, and under-read that any introduction would suffice as a good one. I don't particularly agree with the introduction that Penguin provides here but, again, it's a fair introduction worth reading.

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is something about Hawthorne's stories that leave the reader so unsettled, the stories themselves being unsettled. The Artist of the Beautiful, Rappaccini's Daughter, The Birthmark, Roger Malvin's Burial - all are so carefully rendered, and somewhat formal, but there is an undercurrent of darkness and restriction, unbridled chaos so close to the surface, yet never addressed directly. The stories I've listed appealed to me the most, particularly The Birthmark, a story touching on female beauty and the pursuit of happiness, and how some of us are never satisfied. Like characters in Poe, Hawthorne's creations are the engineers of their own demise. Yet, I feel that with Hawthorne, he is more reluctant to have them fall, and this conflict arises at the intersection between individual obsessions or pursuits, and the communal good. Isn't the Artist of the Beautiful Hawthorne himself? And yet, the artist is doomed. Perhaps these are cautionary tales. And just as Hawthorne changed his name to distance himself from his Salem witch trial judge ancestors, his stories retain an air of judgment and law. Maybe, as his work illustrates, you can't escape your past...How beautiful the garden in Rappaccini's Daughter, or Owen Warland's mechanical butterfly fluttering around the sceptics, but does it rival nature? Perhaps the artist is good as long as he does not try to rival God, and maybe that is what Hawthorne is trying to do, he is showing that he knows his boundaries.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had previously read selections from this book as part of a course called "The American Renaissance." The short story "Young Goodman Brown" was on several course syllabi during my college years, but I had never read more than four or five of Hawthorne's stories. (I've never read any of his novels.) I enjoyed the opportunity to read a broader selection of his work, and I think that I have a better understanding of the issues he's grappling with: the tarnished nature of the human soul, the destructive forces of scientific and philosophical overreach, the role of religion in Americans' lives.

Reading literature, I've found, is most fulfilling when done with others. The ability to discuss what one has read, especially with guidance from those who know much more about the context of the writings, adds an important dimension to what is otherwise a solitary experience. Still, there were moments when I actually laughed at lines from Hawthorne's stories, or was drawn with excitement to see what would happen.

This is a great collection for those who are interested in delving into the work of an important 19th century American author, even if you aren't doing it for class.

[Nils Samuels · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first great American writer of fiction, working in the form that serves him best, with quick, moody, impressionistic tales that tap into and benchmark American romanticism for all the years after. =The Scarlet Letter= may be better known, but Hawthorne's atmospherics wear out in longer narratives. "The Artist of the Beautiful," "My Kinsman, Major Molineux," and "The Minister's Black Veil" stand out.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the first books I read in college. It is one that I've read countless times since. There are so many great short stories here that I can't pick one as a favorite. Much of Hawthorne's work takes place during early American history, using the Puritan faith as a model to build many of his characters. All of the stories included take you to that time with page-turning suspense that keeps you engrossed for hours.

[Walt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hawthorne would fit right in with today's quirky television. I envision him writing for something strange like THE OFFICE. His writing makes me recognize how much language has changed from his time to ours. It is an attestation to evolution if nothing else is. I enjoyed the eerie sense of the stories --- some more than others. If you want a sense of early American language and storytelling, this is it.

[Britt Rivera · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really did not think I would enjoy these stories as much as I did. All of the were very interesting (at least the ones I had to read for class).
"Oh, how stubbornly does love-or even that cunning semblance of love which flourished in the imagination, but strikes no depth of root in the heart-how stubbornly does it hold its faith, until the moment come, when it is doomed to vanish into thin mist!" -Rappaccini's Daughter

[Paul Boger · Rating 3 out of 5]

19th Century diction, and The Romantic Style, in general, are rough on my 20th Century ears, but Hawthorne's themes -- intolerance, persecution, and guilt -- are presented as eternal, and his depictions ring even truer today. I was repeatedly struck by how little we've changed since The Puritans, and easily his tales would translate in a contemporary writer's hands. The best of this collection is immortal, the worst is still interesting, if a tedious and repetitive read.

[Tom Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been at least 10 years since I read this. Hawthorne has always been honored as one of America's premier writers of the first half of the 19th century. I enjoyed most of the stories,particularly "Young Goodman Brown". His writing style, to me, seems more archaic than some of his contemporaries such as Melville. Perhaps, it is because he wrote mostly about the puritanical peoples of New England villages.

[Peter Lindstrom · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love reading Hawthorne even though I don't always like him & yes, even I find he can be dull at times, but there is much in there, so I've been reading & re-reading his stories most of my life. This collection is perhaps the best, good intro essay & generally Hawthorne at his best, with a few of the dull ones. "The May-Pole of Merry Mount" is worth reading to show how Hawthorne didn't cherish either the Puritans or his family's leadership in early Massachusetts.

[David Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hawthorne, one of the first great American authors, sought to document its feel and attitudes, especially the Puritans', in his fiction and descriptive sketches. If you can accept his allegorical style, you'll appreciate his depth. While I'm not displeased to have read this 440-page book in its entirety, it's more Hawthorne than is strictly necessary. And the editor's 40-page introduction, while erudite, could have been employed against accused Salem witches as torture.

[Ke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recommend this book to anyone who hasn't had enough of Hawthorne. Like his longer works, these shorter pieces are about religion, literature, transcendentalism, etc. Many pieces also carry a tone consistent with Hawthorne's novels like The Scarlet Letter and The Blithedale Romance.

[Michelle]

For ENGH 655, I had to read the following selections from this collection: "The Wives of the Dead," "My Kinsman, Major Molineux," "Roger Malvin's Burial," "The Haunted Mind," "Alice Doane's Appeal," "Young Goodman Brown," "The Notch of the White Mountains," and "The Minister's Black Veil."

[Namrirru · Rating 5 out of 5]

Verily Poe.