Twice-Told Tales

Complete in One Volume
"To this little book, we would say, 'Live ever, sweet, sweet book.' It comes from the hand of a man of genius.… [Hawthorne's writing] is characterized by a large proportion of feminine elements, depth and tenderness of feeling, exceeding purity of mind." -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Hawthorne's writings are "a pure and living stream of manly thought and feeling, which characterizes always the true man, the Christian, the republican and the patriot." -Orestes Brownson, The Boston Quarterly Review
Hawthorne's short stories "rivet the attention [of the reader]. The style of Hawthorne is purity itself. His tone is singularly effective-wild, plaintive, thoughtful, and in full accordance with his themes.… We look upon him as one of the few men of indisputable genius to whom our country has as yet given birth." -Edgar Allan Poe, The Broadway Journal
The most influential book of 1837. -The Grolier Club
Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) was a novelist and short story writer. Best known for The Scarlet Letter (1850), The House of the Seven Gables (1851), The Blithedale Romance (1852), and The Marble Faun (1860), as well as the political biography of his friend Life of Franklin Pierce (1852), his first writings were short stories published in a number of magazines and annuals. In the 1830s, he served as the editor of the American Magazine of Useful and Entertaining Knowledge, and then accepted a political appointment at the Boston Custom House. Twice-Told Tales was sponsored by Hawthorne's friend, Horation Bridge (a lawyer at the time, he later joined the Navy and rose to the rank of commodore). It sold moderately well when it was published, and then saw a resurgence after the publication of The Scarlet Letter.

About the author

Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) was an American novelist, dark romantic, and short story writer. He was born in 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts, to Nathaniel Hathorne and the former Elizabeth Clarke Manning. His ancestors include John Hathorne, the only judge involved in the Salem witch trials who never repented of his actions. He entered Bowdoin College in 1821, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa in 1824, and graduated in 1825.

Hawthorne published his first work in 1828, the novel Fanshawe; he later tried to suppress it, feeling that it was not equal to the standard of his later work. He published several short stories in periodicals, which he collected in 1837 as Twice-Told Tales. The next year, he became engaged to Sophia Peabody. He worked at the Boston Custom House and joined Brook Farm, a transcendentalist community, before marrying Peabody in 1842. The couple moved to The Old Manse in Concord, Massachusetts, later moving to Salem, the Berkshires, then to The Wayside in Concord. The Scarlet Letter was published in 1850, followed by a succession of other novels. A political appointment as consul took Hawthorne and family to Europe before their return to Concord in 1860. Hawthorne died on May 19, 1864, and was survived by his wife and their three children.

Much of Hawthorne's writing centers on New England, many works featuring moral metaphors with an anti-Puritan inspiration. His fiction works are considered part of the Romantic movement and, more specifically, dark romanticism. His themes often center on the inherent evil and sin of humanity, and his works often have moral messages and deep psychological complexity. His published works include novels, short stories, and a biography of his college friend Franklin Pierce, the 14th President of the United States.

Product details

• Authors: Nathaniel Hawthorne
• Publisher: Gray Rabbit Publishing
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 13.08.2018
• EAN: 9781515423348
• ISBN: 978-1-5154-2334-8
• No. of pages: 312
• Dimensions: 152 mm x 229 mm x 18 mm
• Weight: 509 g
• Subject: Fiction > Narrative literature