Reviews for The House of the Seven Gables

The average rating for The House of the Seven Gables based on 2 reviews is 2.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2009-08-16 00:00:00 John Jurasek OHMYFREAKIN'GAWD. Why the hell did I pick this up again? Life's too short, you say? You have 200+ other books on your 'to read' shelf and this was sucking your will to read? Give it up! You're right... all of it... and my answer is... my excuse being... because I'm freakin' stubborn. Its Hawthorne . I mean how much more New Englandy can you get? I couldn't just--- give up... I'd be betraying my countryman... Whatever. For a few years, in my younger days, I worked down the street from the House of the Seven Gables and I'd always get this literary stab of guilt for not having read it. I'd never fully look it in the eye, feeling the shame wash over me. Its judgmental gables peeking out at me while I'd sit by the lighthouse eating lunch. I want it all back. All those years of remorse. I could definitely put it to better use. And you know what? It's not such a bad story, really. It's got murder, witchcraft, a creepy house, a curse, a spinster and her childlike convict brother, some mystery hottie and a fair maiden. You throw in an organ grinder and some insolent chickens and you've got the making of a great short story. See there? What I did? I said 'short story.' But what Hawthorne does, and what irritates the fuck out of me, is draw out the narrative and then... draw it out some more. It gets to the point where you (read: me) throw the damn book down, cursing and feeling like you've just been scolded by your high school english teacher for not appreciating its nuances. Ugh. Double frickin' UGH. Example: Do I really need 8 pages describing the gardens? Or does he really feel he's being clever when he writes 18 pages playing out the death of one of the characters? (oops---spoiler---my bad) I get it...ha ha... yer just full o' wit there, Nate. I will say that there was one little salacious scene that had me all a twitter and thinking that I might see some girl on old decrepit man action: "On Clifford's part it was the feeling of a man naturally endowed with the liveliest sensibility to feminine influence, but who had never quaffed the cup of passionate love, and knew that it was now too late. He knew it, with the instinctive delicacy that had survived his intellectual decay. Thus, his sentiment for Phoebe, without being paternal, was not less chaste than if she had been his daughter. He was a man, it is true, and recognized her as a woman. She was his only representative of womankind. He took unfailing note of every charm that appertained to her sex, and saw the ripeness of her lips, and the virginal development of her bosom. All her little womanly ways, budding out of her like blossoms on a young fruit tree, had their effect on him, and sometimes cause his very heart to tingle with the keenest thrills of pleasure." I think Nate was dipping into Fanny Hill hoping to quaff his own cup a bit... but, I was bored and of course picked up on this. Maybe I've just read too much. Maybe I'm just expecting too much. I've said before, I grew up on Hungry Mans and the advent of the remote control. Don't pussy foot around. Give me what I want and give it to me now. Okay?

Review # 2 was written on 2012-03-21 00:00:00 Robert Sorrow The illustrious Pyncheon family had quite a useful reign, (but that was long ago) its founder Col.Pyncheon a stout, merciless Puritan and able soldier, helped wipe out the scourge the evil threat of the abominable witches, in the honorable Salem trials of 1692. For his just reward he happened by pure accident, to take over the property of old Matthew Maule. Still a splendid , beautiful area the perfect place to set his building the magnificent Seven Gables, the Colonel's new mansion for his noble efforts .The wicked Wizard Maule , met his proper end at Gallows Hill. Things do not stay the same unfortunately, the family and House of the Seven Gables have seen better days... In fact truthfully at one time few would argue against it being ranked among the best edifices in colonial Massachusetts. That was more than 150 years ago this building, shall we reiterate is a little run down ( a dump in reality). Hepzibah Pyncheon, an "old maid", with nevertheless a wonderful name is now all alone, the only exception a young boarder, Mr.Holgrave. A daguerreotypist, as a resident the poor Hepzibah has to open a cent store, also to make a living what a humiliating situation for an upper class woman, from a formerly prominent family. Also visiting a relative Phoebe Pyncheon, a penniless country cousin with all that implies, the girl has no idea why the brother of Miss Pyncheon, Clifford returns home after 30 years, was it for some crime ? Nobody is talking and the 17- year- old- girl doesn't ask too many questions, she is a guest after all and very grateful. Judge Jaffrey Pyncheon, a rich distinguished man once a member of Congress and his son traveling around Europe somewhere, are the last male Pyncheons, not counting the unfortunate and sick Clifford, nobody does. People stay away from the strange house rumors about ghosts and unexplained deaths, are a constant source of gossip for the dull town. The bored Clifford likes to blow soap bubbles from the second story of the mansion, one hits his haughty cousin the distinguished gentleman on the nose.The prosperous relative now has an excuse to visit, wanting to talk to Clifford, about a vague proposition but the nervous ex-inmate, blames the aloof magistrate for his troubles refuses. A dark , strange thick atmosphere engulfs the premises, the ancient crumbling House of the Seven Gables, will some sunshine ever brighten it ? A classic novel not as exciting as when it was first published, yet worth reading still. Over a century and a half after being first written, many events have shocked the world making this rather mild in comparison. Did Hawthorne's, ( author of The Scarlet Letter, a monumental work) evil ancestors involvement in the notorious Salem kangaroo trials, gullible adults fooled by emotional delusional bad children with no conscious...Did these killings of innocent people, haunt the great author?