The House of Seven Gables

An evil house, cursed through the centuries by a man who was hanged for witchcraft, is haunted by the ghosts of its sinful dead, wracked by the fear of its frightened living. Written as a follow-up to The Scarlet Letter, The House of the Seven Gables is truly a masterful blending of the actual and the imaginary.

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Recent Forum Posts on The House of Seven Gables

Uncle

Nathaniel Hawthorne is one of my great uncles from a very long time ago. I think this book is absolutely terrific. Yes, it does take some thinking, but if you actually pay attention you will like it. I love this book and I am going to read more of his books. For the people who liked it, they probably payed attention like other people didn't.

Posted By Abby4 at Wed 8 Nov 2006, 7:58 AM in The House of Seven Gables || 1 Reply

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I've had a really hard time maintaining a constant mental state of sanity while reading the piece, but after sitting down with it and meticulously going over motifs, symbols, and themes, I'm proud to say I actually understood the plot and characters on much deeper levels. It takes work, caffiene, and heavy concentration, but if you really want to know what's going on, Hawthorne does a good job of gluing you to your seat. :)

Posted By Pooja at Tue 24 May 2005, 5:07 PM in The House of Seven Gables || 0 Replies

still standing

If you have never read Hawthorne, I recommend this one. It's a literary masterpiece with so many multidimensional characters, and so vividly described by the author. The characterizations alone make this book worth reading. It is a unique story. I would love to visit the actual house. A friend of mine has been there. It was years ago, but it is still open for tourism. See www.7gables.org

Posted By Unregistered at Fri 11 Jun 2004, 12:00 AM in The House of Seven Gables || 2 Replies

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I find Hawthorne a very easy read. However, you do have to understand that it was written in the 1850's, and that it's not just a spy plot. It's a mental story as well as straight narrative, and it's also poetry, that is, employing poetic imagery and imagination, as well as peculiar stylistic elements. There are many things working together. Hawthorne was writing a novel, not a movie, television show, or comic book. Once you understand that, it's easier to grasp.

Posted By Garry Ferrington at Tue 24 May 2005, 5:07 PM in The House of Seven Gables || 0 Replies

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I am an 8th grader reading this book. It is pretty good if you like 19th century pieces. I though, think that 19th century books have too many details. In the chapter The Garden (I think it's called) there is six pages just about the chickens. Near the beginning of the book I could probably have counted how many times Hepzibah sighed. Work like this often makes me drift away from the words and start thinking about what other homework I have to do, or what I am going to wear the next day. It is hard to concentrate on and there is no way anyone could manage to read the whole book while keeping score on a soccer game or something. This takes all of my being and conscious to read it, but there are good points about HO7G as well.
I love the symbolism that fills this book. As was said before, you can tell what was happening in history if you take the time to digest everything. Also, the quotes are marvelous, "god hath given him blood to drink."
The words, while so many make such a rich soup, which is why I think it is a classic. So read if you dare.

Posted By Bejipan at Tue 24 May 2005, 5:07 PM in The House of Seven Gables || 0 Replies

Great

I'm a ninth grader reading "The House of Seven Gables" for a book report for my literature class. At first I was bored out of my mind, but once I got serious and concentrated, also around halfway through Chapter 1, I found the book interesting. Its a great read. The characters are described thoroughly, the places detailed as if I was there, and the plot was great. This was the first book I read authored by Nathaniel Hawthorne and now I think I'll read other books by him.

Posted By Terri at Tue 24 May 2005, 5:07 PM in The House of Seven Gables || 0 Replies

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This book is a good book with a lot of its meaning under the surface. one has to dig deep down to understand the true maning or intention of the writer. it was interesting as the author gave all these human qualities to a house.

Posted By S.B.S Mighty at Tue 24 May 2005, 5:07 PM in The House of Seven Gables || 0 Replies

House of Seven Gables

I disliked the book as it took so long to say so little! Some of the plot twists were good but other than that it was... un-interesting! I'd reccomend it to anyone who has timew to spear and the patience of a kindergarden teacher. Good luck to all who read it! --Lori

Posted By Lori Ann at Tue 24 May 2005, 5:07 PM in The House of Seven Gables || 0 Replies

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I am in the eighth grade, and I didn't find this book that hard! While, yes it might now have been the most interesting story I have ever read, I really can't complain. It had a good plot line, but I think the author went into way too much detail in some parts. I'm not some super nerd, I 'm jsut an average kid, and I think that overall, it was pretty good!

Posted By Unregistered at Tue 24 May 2005, 5:07 PM in The House of Seven Gables || 0 Replies

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In modern novels the point is to describe, but also to tell a story in a style literary yet not always formal. In novels like The House of the Seven Gables the author has not only a theme but an analysis of the mind; yet the story is surprising clear. Each paragraph--however long--has only one point, though long description. If one can follow the structure of the sentence (where is the verb? what is being done to it or is doing the action) and check new vocabulary in the dictionary, then one will taste the style of the author, as well as know his meaning. As this is mind analysis, however, the author will quantify his descriptions with contradictions, passages separated by dashes, and metaphors. To find the meaning of sentences with these features one should think well of its relation to the main sentence, and see how these passages add to or tell more precisely the meaning. The characters are very important in the novel, and how they feel--that is the reason for many of the long descriptions. Thus you can only like the novel in itself, and if not, then at least have read famous literature.

Posted By Unregistered at Tue 24 May 2005, 5:07 PM in The House of Seven Gables || 0 Replies

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