Description

If you're in the mood for a ghostly story of haunting and mystery, look no further. The House of Seven Gables, written by beloved American author Nathaniel Hawthorne, begins with a chilling description of a New England mansion that has been haunted by its murky history of fraud, witchcraft, and sudden death. The house belongs to the Pyncheon family, and its current resident is the dignified but poverty-stricken woman Hepzibah, who must open a shop in the house in order to survive. She awaits the return of her brother Clifford, who will soon be released from prison after serving time for murder. A distant cousin, Phoebe, pays Hepzibah a visit, and although Hepzibah initially treats her with reserve, Phoebe's charm convinces the woman to let her stay. When Clifford returns from prison and finds Phoebe's presence in the gloomy house to be uplifting and cheery, Hepzibah realizes she made the right decision. Their fragile but quiet existence is upset, however, when Judge Pyncheon pays them a visit, offering to help out financially. Unbeknowst to Hepzibah, he has his own ulterior motives for gaining access to the house. The house's haunted history, far from being in the past, continues to exert a mysterious influence over its present inhabitants.

About the Author

Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) was a pivotal figure in American literature, part of the innovative and imaginative group of writers and thinkers who brought about the "American Renaissance" of the nineteenth century. Born in New Hampshire, Hawthorne was raised by his mother and other relatives after his father died while overseas. Hawthorne was sent to college, but preferred his family home. Once he returned there after graduation, he retreated to his own quarters and dabbled in writing, although he did not publish any of these early pieces. After marrying, Hawthorne brought his family to Massachusetts, where he held a steady job at the Salem Custom House to make ends meet. In later years Hawthorne again took up writing and published his masterpiece, The Scarlet Letter, in 1850. The novel was well-received, and Hawthorne's legend as a master of fiction had been established. He went on to write such classics as The House of the Seven Gables and The Marble Faun, continuing to earn the favor of the American and international reading public. To this day, Hawthorne's works are beloved for their unique and haunting nature, exploring both dark and lighter aspects of American history, psychology, and landscape.

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Opening Lines (Experimental)

HALFWAY down a by-street of one of our New England towns stands a rusty wooden house, with seven acutely peaked gables, facing towards various points of the compass, and a huge, clustered chimney in the midst. The street is Pyncheon Street; the house is the old Pyncheon House; and an elm-tree, of ...