The House of the Seven GablesA family burdened by the sins of their forebears seeks redemption in this Gothic masterpiece from one of the most influential voices in American literature In a small New England town, the haunted halls of Pyncheon House trap its current owners—Hepzibah Pyncheon and her brother, Clifford—in an atmosphere of gloom and despair. Two hundred years ago, their ancestor seized the property from a man sentenced to death for practicing witchcraft. At his execution, the man placed a curse on the Pyncheons, and the family has been plagued by tragedy ever since. Enlivened by the arrival of Phoebe, a pretty young relative who begins a tentative romance with Holgrave, their mysterious attic lodger, Hepzibah and Clifford hope that the curse has finally lifted. But before a new day can dawn, they must first contend with Judge Jaffrey Pyncheon, whose greed and treachery threaten to doom the family forevermore. Inspired by the role his ancestors played in the Salem witch trials, Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote The House of the Seven Gables to explore the complicated legacy of the Puritans. First published in 1851, his savage indictment of the darkness at the heart of the American dream is more powerful than ever. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices. |
Contents
THE LITTLE SHOPWINDOW | |
THE FIRST CUSTOMER | |
A DAY BEHIND THE COUNTER | |
MAY AND NOVEMBER | |
MAULES WELL | |
THE GUEST | |
THE PYNCHEON OF TODAY | |
THE DAGUERREOTYPIST | |
ALICE PYNCHEON | |
PHOEBES GOODBYE | |
THE SCOWL AND SMILE | |
CLIFFORDS CHAMBER | |
THE FLIGHT OF TWO OWLS | |
GOVERNOR PYNCHEON | |
ALICES POSIES | |
CLIFFORD AND PHOEBE | |
THE PYNCHEON GARDEN | |
THE ARCHED WINDOW | |
THE FLOWER OF EDEN | |
THE DEPARTURE | |
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Common terms and phrases
Alice Pyncheon answered Phoebe appeared arched window artist beautiful behold better bitter emotion breath brought carpenter cent-shop chair Chanticleer character child Colonel Pyncheon countenance Cousin Hepzibah cried daguerreotype daguerreotypist dark dead dear death delicate door dream eyes face fancied feel figure Flower of Eden flowers garden gaze gingerbread girl give guest hand happy harpsichord Hawthorne heart Hepzibah and Clifford Holgrave human Jaffrey Jim Crow Judge Pyncheon Judge’s kind lady laugh look maiden man’s mansion Matthew Maule Maule’s mind Miss Hepzibah morning NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE nature near-sightedness never old gentleman old house old Pyncheon once parlor passed perhaps person Phoebe’s picture pleasant poor Hepzibah possessed Puritan Pyncheon Elm Pyncheon House Pyncheon Street scowl secret seemed Seven Gables shadow smile spirit stern stood story strange sunshine thought threshold turned Uncle Venner voice Waldo County whispered whole wizard young youth