Customer Reviews

The House of the Seven Gables

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

What can you say about Nathaniel Hawthorne's "House of the Seven Gables" that hasn't been said before? It's dark; it's Gothic; much of it is depressing; and the language is dense 19th century prose. Those who read primarily for plot will find it slow going, and those who look for likeable characters may be largely disappointed. In other words, for modern readers, this book may be a tough sell. Personally, I found it a little dull and a letdown after having recently reread (and enjoyed) "The Scarlet Letter."

Nonetheless, "The House of the Seven Gables" has its pleasures. Hawthorne, the scion of an old Massachusetts Puritan family, injects an unusual sense of historical depth into his writings. This is certainly true of "The House of the Seven Gables," which explores the idea of character flaws, evil and retribution passed down from generation to generation in a single family. Of course not everyone in the family is guilty, but the sins of a few taint the lives of all. As in much of Hawthorne's work, the supernatural, sometimes implied and sometimes explicit, plays a role in the workings of the plot. Even the daguerrotypist--nothing but an early photographer to us--must have given the 19th century reader a frisson because of his combination of mesmeric powers and miraculous ability to produce telling images out of pure light.

Hawthorne is a master of description, an expert at using his words to create images that convey far more than simple visuals. Even when the plot seemed stale and the characters wooden, the author's use of the language made it worth continuing. Hawthorne's descriptions of a little boy's love of animal-shaped cookies, of the garden with Maule's bitter well, and of the dead Jaffrey unmoving in his chair, to mention just a few, made the book well worth reading. "The House of the Seven Gables" may or may not be Hawthorne's best work (that's always a matter of opinion--try some of his short stories too), but it is an interesting book nonetheless

Though there were definitely times when this book was slow or difficult to understand, Hawthorne's writing, through the use of metaphors, allusions and other rhetorical devices is a wonderful accomplishment. It was hard for me to get into the book at the beginning and especially through the long discussion of the Pyncheon family but it payed off to know this information when the climax arose. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book, but was not totally impressed by the story, reguardless of the universal themes that apply to us today.

A slow, leisurely, and deep read. Hawthorne has a wonderful prose style that is uniquely him. He has a poetic way of taking things that seem small or insignificant and making them large and thoughtful. The plot does not move along quickly, but I found that the reading did. The characters seem to move in slow motion for a great majority of the book, and every movement has volumes of meaning. I feel this book is very representative of the emergence of american values of equality, of a disdain for the importance previously placed on pedigree or heritage and of course, of the emphasis on things like virtue, humility, etc. A delicious read.

Although I'm a big fan of Hawthorne's short stories, this is my first venture into his novel writing. His short stories, by their very nature, move from conflict to climax without much ado. They are preachy, pedantic, and allegorical--and I love them. "...Seven Gables" moves along at a much slower pace, developing symbolism and characters with greater subtlety and depth. The plot itself is not much deeper than one of his short stories. We watch humbled, yet strong Hepzibah struggle for a living from a one room shop in the house. Along the way, she meets a variety of characters and becomes host and confidant to a long-lost relative, gentle Phoebe. Phoebe is sunlight, poking into the shadows of the gabled house, bringing vivacity to its occupants, Hepzibah, Clifford, and Holgrave. Yes, Hawthorne hints at sinister things in the past and present of the old house, but only with the arrival of Judge Pyncheon do we begin to suspect trouble brewing.

The conclusion of the book involves death and hidden riches and suspicions and redemption. The symbols throughout--the house, the chimney, the elm tree, the chickens, etc.--manage to reveal their purposes in due time. In a satisfactory manner, Hawthorne contrasts the insidious nature of religious hypocrisy with the virtues of honesty and gentle love. The horrors of the Pyncheons' past fade away in the light of Phoebe's commitment and care. Her time in the house brings life to all within...all except one.

Hawthorne could've encapsulated this tale in one of his short stories. He could've sliced away words with meticulous demand. Instead, he allows us to know and care for the people in his story. Some readers, granted, will find it difficult to care and will call it a waste of their time; sure, it takes a little effort. But, just as Phoebe and Hepzibah display sacrificial love, a reader who's willing to give the time might find worthwhile rewards by the book's end.

If you're already a fan, you'll enjoy it. I certainly did. If it seems too long, try some of his short works and work up your appetite for these heartier courses. This is rich stuff.

"'Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.'
What profit has a man from all his labor
In which he toils under the sun?
One generation passes away, and another generation comes;
But the earth abides forever." -- Ecclesiastes 1:2-4 (NKJV)

Before commenting on the book, let me mention that I've always found it hard to get into. This time I listened to a reading by Donalda Peters and it made all the difference. Give it a try!

The Old Testament tells us that crimes can carry curses into future generations. Hawthorne examines that theme by having Colonel Pyncheon acquire the property of one Mathew Maule through Maule being found guilty of witchcraft in colonial Salem, Massachusetts. On the land was built the House of Seven Gables, and the consequences of the original action certainly seem to singe and tinge the current generation in a variety of ways. Rather than make this just a Biblical tale, Hawthorne beautifully investigates the questions of nature versus nurture in determining character and what choices are made.

Much of the story is told through the use of extended irony of the sort that's found in the book of Ecclesiastes. It's very well written and compelling.

Those who don't like dark stories should realize that there's a special beauty in certain kinds of darkness. And, too, weeping may endure for a night, but joy can come in the morning. Love can conquer quite a lot.

For modern readers, this is a difficult read. And once you are finished, you will likely have difficulty arguing that it was worth your while. Unless you are a Hawthorne fan, or for some other reason you just must succeed in completing this book. Otherwise you are probably better off reading or re-reading The Scarlet Letter, which is similarly challenging, but delivers a much better payoff. Just because its "classic" doesn't mean you can't criticize it.

This is quit possibly the worst book i have ever read, it was dry, there was no plot, and it was hard to understand. if you are considering buying this book, bad idea...don't waste your penny, i recommend not reading anything by Nathaniel Hawthorne, he is the worst writter in the history of book writing.

I tried to read this book for the first time when I was in my late teens, but I couldn't stand it. The language was just too flowery and long-winded. After twelve years or so, I just tried to read it again. This time, I was able to get through the book.
I thoroughly enjoyed Hawthorne's descriptive language. His ability to paint a picture through words is amazing; however, this same technique is what caused the book to move so slowly. Hawthorne took hundreds of words to say what could easily have been said in a couple of sentences. Yes, that is just the way American romantic novelists of the mid-nineteenth century wrote; still, for American readers of the twenty-first century who are used to fast-paced life, this sort of writing can be difficult at times.
My biggest problem with this book was its ending. Everything was just too neatly wrapped up. The remainder of the Pyncheon clan and Holgrave had too happy an ending. With the background of the Pyncheons, they should not have had such an ideal ending! The ending should not have been so neatly tied up. There should have been loose ends and serious problems remaining for everyone.
If you enjoy Hawthorne or just simply want to become more familiar with mid-nineteenth century American literature, read The House of the Seven Gables. If you cannot abide books that spend more time with setting, descriptions, etc., than actual movement of the plot, you might want to read another book.

The House of Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne is considered one of his greatest novels, (According to Henry James) is based on a true story within Hawthorne's own family line. While the book may sound appealing, it is actually quite boorish with a poor climax, and a tiresome storyline.
The story starts out with a 30 page introduction about a Colonel who wants to expand his house, but his neighbor's property seems to be in the way. So he frames a plot against the man and calls him a witch, he gets hanged and the Colonel gets the poor framed man's land. However on the scaffold he places a curse on the Colonel and his future generations. The Colonel then gets the son of the man who cursed him to build his house. On the day that the house is finished the Colonel dies. Thus, we are taken to an old maid who has never worked in her life is now forced to set up a shop within the house. The drudgery continues from there.
Some interesting points within the book are how Hawthorne has a much different writing style in this book. He often makes comments to the reader criticizing his characters; most of these comments are quite comical. I did enjoy how he developed his characters even though it seemed he lost interest in some toward the end of the book.
Overall, the book had some up points and some down points, but overall it had many more down points than anything else. I wouldn't recommend this book unless you're a huge fan of Nathaniel Hawthorne, and even then, I enjoyed The Scarlet Letter much better.

I have come to the conclusion that this is anovel you either love or you just can't get into it. I couldn't get into it. Hawthorne gets off of the topic often and takes forever to accomplish the discription of something I felt most writers could have done more quickly and more succesfully. All of the discription seemed excessive and only confused me. I had to force myself to read the first half of this book, and by the time I had reached that point I came to the conclusion that if it wasn't good already it wasn't going to get much better. I have always enjoyed early American literature, Greek literature, and have read my fare share of William Shakespeare, but I just couldn't enjoy this one. It was just too dry.