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
ezravasq's review against another edition
4.0
Less moving than the Scarlet Letter, it's a good ghost yarn that reads quickly.
asullivan445's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-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
rhondafuller's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0