Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.2 AVERAGE
3.2 AVERAGE
Un récit aux accents gothiques mais dont le goût de Hawthorne pour la digression philosophique ou sociologique, digne du plus bavard Balzac, dilue tout l'intérêt en étirant beaucoup trop une intrigue aux personnages pourtant attachants.
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
I enjoyed how the narrator addresses the reader and liked the spirits in the house, but I didn't get into the story.
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
*Some Spoilers Up Ahead!
I think I'm kind of being generous with the 4 stars. The book did not meet my expectations, but it was a nice read nonetheless.
The story follows an old maid, Hepzibah Pyncheon, who lives in the House of the Seven Gables that was built by her ancestor, Colonel Pyncheon. But death, curses, and drama fill the house decade after decade until it's Hepzibah's turn for something sinister to happen. Luckily, her sweet niece, Phoebe, comes into the picture, and with her help, as well as Holgrave's, she must keep her brother, Clifford, safe and happy and keep a dreaded, conniving soul away from her loved ones.
I wish Hawthorne would have been more thorough in this book. Granted, it was the 1800s, but still, he could have made it scarier, darker, and more mysterious. The story didn't get interesting until Chapter 13, which might trigger some people due to the lingo that was used during that time between whites and blacks. Up until that point, it was a slow story and Hawthorne wanted to make his philosophy and soliloquies known more than the characters and the plot. Also, I wish he would have made Phoebe's and Holgrave's love story a little more developed and impactful than just hurriedly confessing their love in a paragraph or so at the end. But the end was on point and I was shocked at who was who and what happened in the past to the Pyncheon's.
Happy reading!
I think I'm kind of being generous with the 4 stars. The book did not meet my expectations, but it was a nice read nonetheless.
The story follows an old maid, Hepzibah Pyncheon, who lives in the House of the Seven Gables that was built by her ancestor, Colonel Pyncheon. But death, curses, and drama fill the house decade after decade until it's Hepzibah's turn for something sinister to happen. Luckily, her sweet niece, Phoebe, comes into the picture, and with her help, as well as Holgrave's, she must keep her brother, Clifford, safe and happy and keep a dreaded, conniving soul away from her loved ones.
I wish Hawthorne would have been more thorough in this book. Granted, it was the 1800s, but still, he could have made it scarier, darker, and more mysterious. The story didn't get interesting until Chapter 13, which might trigger some people due to the lingo that was used during that time between whites and blacks. Up until that point, it was a slow story and Hawthorne wanted to make his philosophy and soliloquies known more than the characters and the plot. Also, I wish he would have made Phoebe's and Holgrave's love story a little more developed and impactful than just hurriedly confessing their love in a paragraph or so at the end. But the end was on point and I was shocked at who was who and what happened in the past to the Pyncheon's.
Happy reading!
slow-paced
What a drag to read. So verbose and overwritten. The author just drones on and on and on about absolutely everything. In the end I had to finish it with the help of the audiobook because my brain would just zone off.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes