Scan barcode
pianorunner421's review against another edition
3.0
I read this book in Jr. High. I know I did because I was not a student who used Cliff Notes or tried to fake my way through assignments - especially in English. But I did not really remember anything about the story. I decided to re-read it and I am so glad I did. I am sure as a young teen, I missed the intrigue, ghost story, symbolism, romance and overall depth of the story. I bet I could write a much more interesting and detailed book report of this story now than I did in 1983. I love that my commute allows for extended periods of reading conducive to stories of great detail and depth. This was a snuggle down and get in deep kind of novel.
lochlinn13's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
4.5
I’m being a little generous because it’s a classic. If you’re a fan of Anne Rice or Stephen King, you’ll notice how this book, an original American gothic, inspired these authors’ sense of scene.
thatguy2022's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.0
cepbreed's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Thank god I can finally say I have finished this book. Poor Nathaniel Hawthorne because the way in which I had to read this did not afford him much grace. I rushed through the entire book in complete boredom in order to be able to write a final essay with as much competence as possible. My paper is on generational trauma ruining the concept of "home" for the characters and I arduously underlined every quote that could help my cause. That work definitely sucked much of the enjoyment out of the reading process. Even though I rushed through this whole novel there were moments I liked. Holgrave and Phoebe falling in love was a surprising but adorable addition to the narrative and the moments after Judge Pyncheon's death were so well done. Hawthorne doesn't get enough credit for being able to paint a scene like he does for the fictional palace he imagines for men like the Judge. Though I don't remember it well I have read The Scarlet Letter and I liked this more than that. Take that opinion with a grain of salt though because I read that book as an underclassmen in high school and back then I had very little tolerance for the classics.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Classism
Moderate: Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, and Murder
Minor: Blood and Forced institutionalization
whisper88's review
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Forced institutionalization
Minor: Racial slurs, Mental illness, and Blood
zellainy's review against another edition
2.0
My eighth-grade English teacher had us read this books as "punishment." When you frame it that way, it's kind of hard to get into a book. So suffice to say I don't have fond memories of the novel, though I still rather love to say the name Hepzibah.
alliepeduto's review against another edition
2.0
Honestly probably wouldn’t have even bothered to rate this two stars if it hadn’t been for the fact I had the wonderful opportunity last month to visit the “real” House of the Seven Gables. In an example of life imitates art, the book was so wildly popular that by the late 19th/early 20th century, the owner updated the house to more accurately reflect what was in the book. It was a tourist attraction (think movie filming sites in today’s world) whose proceeds funded education programs for immigrants, and they still do that today! If you have the chance to visit Salem, I highly recommend the tour (Nina was our guide and she was incredible), since it still does important work that’s needed.
That being said, this was pretty terrible, in a hilarious kind of way. I mostly listened to it as a sleep story because it kept putting to sleep, and then I would skim what I missed. Sometimes I would wake up snd think, “there was no way that happened,” and it totally did. It read like a fever dream, and I don’t mean that as a compliment (is that ever a compliment? I’m not sure).
Still, glad I read it (I got some great sleep), and definitely recommend learning more about the house than reading the story.
That being said, this was pretty terrible, in a hilarious kind of way. I mostly listened to it as a sleep story because it kept putting to sleep, and then I would skim what I missed. Sometimes I would wake up snd think, “there was no way that happened,” and it totally did. It read like a fever dream, and I don’t mean that as a compliment (is that ever a compliment? I’m not sure).
Still, glad I read it (I got some great sleep), and definitely recommend learning more about the house than reading the story.
impla77's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
an interesting set up ruined by an incredibly copout ending.
bdonbanks's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0