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kellyanne92's review
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
hp_reading's review against another edition
3.0
Almost one year later! In a tale so specific, I did not forget any of what happened over my long reading, but I may have lost some of the meaning. I am very thankful for the afterward in hashing out some of the symbolic details. Hawthorne, notorious for several symbols, did not skimp with Seven Gables. I believe I enjoyed this book as much as I did because I had the pleasure of visiting Salem & the real life House of the Seven Gables while I was reading it. Putting things, like the house & Hawthorneâs own family history, in a historical context relevant to the book was fun for me.
amberg25's review
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Child death, Death, Grief, and Mental illness
Minor: Racism, Sexism, and Xenophobia
shiroikamui's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
bookchatwithbeth's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
a_welch's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
bookswithmaddi's review against another edition
4.0
this book lowkey slaps and is way better than the scarlet letter
paulinetete8's review against another edition
3.0
"No longer ago than the night before, [the apartment] had resembled nothing so much as the old maid's heart; for there was neither sunshine nor household fire in one nor the other, and, save for ghosts and ghostly reminiscences, not a guest, for many years gone by, had entered the heart or the chamber."
This book was incredibly slow-paced, which made it difficult to focus on for long periods of time. I had to set it aside often because it was just so damn slow. However, it was so poetic and well-written that I still found pleasure in reading it. Nathaniel Hawthorne is a master of similes and metaphors. His writing is ambitious and could maybe come across as pompous, but personally, I enjoyed every single line. Here are some of my favorite quotes:
"Mellow, melancholy, yet not mournful, the tone seemed to gush up out of the deep well of Hepzibah's heart, all steeped in its profoundest emotion."
"The Judge's smile seemed to operate on her acerbity of heart like sunshine upon vinegar, making it ten times sourer than ever."
"With a mysterious and terrible Past, which had annihilated his memory, and a blank Future before him, he had only this visionary and impalpable Now, which, if you once look closely at it, is nothing."
"Your great-great-great-great-grandmother had these cups, when she was married," [...]. They were almost the first teacups ever seen in the colony; and if one of them were to be broken, my heart would break with it. But it is nonsense to speak so about a brittle teacup, when I remember what my heart has gone through without breaking."
This book was incredibly slow-paced, which made it difficult to focus on for long periods of time. I had to set it aside often because it was just so damn slow. However, it was so poetic and well-written that I still found pleasure in reading it. Nathaniel Hawthorne is a master of similes and metaphors. His writing is ambitious and could maybe come across as pompous, but personally, I enjoyed every single line. Here are some of my favorite quotes:
"Mellow, melancholy, yet not mournful, the tone seemed to gush up out of the deep well of Hepzibah's heart, all steeped in its profoundest emotion."
"The Judge's smile seemed to operate on her acerbity of heart like sunshine upon vinegar, making it ten times sourer than ever."
"With a mysterious and terrible Past, which had annihilated his memory, and a blank Future before him, he had only this visionary and impalpable Now, which, if you once look closely at it, is nothing."
"Your great-great-great-great-grandmother had these cups, when she was married," [...]. They were almost the first teacups ever seen in the colony; and if one of them were to be broken, my heart would break with it. But it is nonsense to speak so about a brittle teacup, when I remember what my heart has gone through without breaking."