breaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
emjuddz's review against another edition
3.0
Parts of this were fabulous, and some parts really dragged. The haunting atmosphere of the Pyncheon house really comes through, and the imagery is very well done. Still, I didn’t find any characters (aside from Hepzibah, at times) very compelling.
jeneskra's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
3.0
Started slow and finished with a lot happening and info coming all at once. But the taunting of the dead judge was hysterical.
cael_reads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
greenweasel11's review against another edition
5.0
This is the best book I've read in a while. It's even better than The Scarlet Letter. No wonder Melville had a crush on Hawthorne.
nickjonesreadsbooks's review against another edition
3.0
When I was in my early teens I remember coming across a copy of the House of the Seven Gables. I think the cover had a gargoyle on it, and the description, involving wizards, musty documents hidden in an old mansion, and dark family secrets hooked me. However, I never read it. Several false starts later, I decided it was high time to satisfy years of curiosity. The over-all story was good and held to the promise on the back cover of that gargoyled cover of long ago. The characters were mostly interesting if fairly one dimensional.
It was quite dry in patches where there were long stretches of description and reflection that didn't hold my attention very well. But come on! the whole book is only 245 pages or so. There were some elements that Hawthorne belabored early on that made me wonder if they were filler or would tie back in at some point--in the end, he tied everything together quite nicely and left me satisfied. I haven't been able to quite explore how this novel related to national guilt, as it describes on the back cover. Alas, since I am no longer in English classes I read more classics and reflect on their symbols less.
Takes patience but it is good.
It was quite dry in patches where there were long stretches of description and reflection that didn't hold my attention very well. But come on! the whole book is only 245 pages or so. There were some elements that Hawthorne belabored early on that made me wonder if they were filler or would tie back in at some point--in the end, he tied everything together quite nicely and left me satisfied. I haven't been able to quite explore how this novel related to national guilt, as it describes on the back cover. Alas, since I am no longer in English classes I read more classics and reflect on their symbols less.
Takes patience but it is good.
wyemu's review against another edition
3.0
Hawthorne's novel of how perceived inherited guilt affects a family generations on from the original crime, is meant to be a healthier insight into his mind than his previous novel; 'The Scarlet Letter'. A grand mansion stands on the land once owned by Matthew Maule, a man conveniently hanged for witch craft, erected by Colonel Pyncheon and passed down the generations, as has the stigma of the Colonel's crime against Maule and Maule's curse against him. The house has always been believed to be unlucky and as more incidents occur against it the 'evidence' grows. Hawthorne seeks to explore in this novel the difference perceived guilt can have on a family and the, by now, age old argument about nature vs nurture. An excellent novel, dark at times but with more warmth overall than is to be found in 'The Scarlet Letter'.
nicholaspoe_'s review against another edition
2.0
At his best, Hawthorne is at least in the discussion for America's greatest writer, but this one didn't do it for me. Great setting, great characters, but a plot that never really got started and never really went anywhere.
marymaking's review against another edition
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
One of the best books ever written!
bestpartofafire's review against another edition
3.0
I do love Phoebe, and the ending was excellent, but large chunks of it were rather dull and difficult to wade through. Overall a decent book, though, and worth a read (although it isn’t something I would choose to read again).