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Ethan Brand
"Ethan Brand" by Nathaniel Hawthorne.
ebook
First published March 4, 1850
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118 people want to read
About the author
Nathaniel Hawthorne
5,425 books3,557 followersNathaniel Hawthorne was a 19th century American novelist and short story writer. He is seen as a key figure in the development of American literature for his tales of the nation's colonial history.
Shortly after graduating from Bowdoin College, Hathorne changed his name to Hawthorne. Hawthorne anonymously published his first work, a novel titled Fanshawe, in 1828. In 1837, he published Twice-Told Tales and became engaged to painter and illustrator Sophia Peabody the next year. He worked at a Custom House and joined a Transcendentalist Utopian 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 took Hawthorne and family to Europe before returning to The Wayside in 1860. Hawthorne died on May 19, 1864, leaving behind his wife and their three children.
Much of Hawthorne's writing centers around New England and many feature moral allegories with a Puritan inspiration. His work is considered part of the Romantic movement and includes novels, short stories, and a biography of his friend, the United States President Franklin Pierce.
Shortly after graduating from Bowdoin College, Hathorne changed his name to Hawthorne. Hawthorne anonymously published his first work, a novel titled Fanshawe, in 1828. In 1837, he published Twice-Told Tales and became engaged to painter and illustrator Sophia Peabody the next year. He worked at a Custom House and joined a Transcendentalist Utopian 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 took Hawthorne and family to Europe before returning to The Wayside in 1860. Hawthorne died on May 19, 1864, leaving behind his wife and their three children.
Much of Hawthorne's writing centers around New England and many feature moral allegories with a Puritan inspiration. His work is considered part of the Romantic movement and includes novels, short stories, and a biography of his friend, the United States President Franklin Pierce.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 13, 2018
It has been a very, very long time since I read Nathaniel Hawthorne and that was "The Scarlet Letter" in high school. I have many on his on my "to read" list and hopefully will read one of his novels this year but after listening to an OTR (Old Time radio) show last week and hearing again their version of " Ethan Brand", I was ready to take a dip into his world of stories. I find many of my stories from the show, The Weird Circle. This series has their spin on an author's works, sometimes quite different which was the case in this story which aired February 13, 1944. I will start with my comments on his short story, it was more abstract, yes I will use that word not coming up with a better one. Meaning, he tells of Ethan Brand who was looking for the "unpardonable sin" and left his home some twenty years ago and returns on one ominous night to the his origin. We are not told of what he did but that it had an effect on some. He uses a lot of symbolism to show of his mind's unrest, which I found the dog's lunacy of his crazy tail chase interesting. So this story is more mental floss than an out in out story which the radio show gave its listeners. In that we see what harm he did to many and his reasoning which was pure evil. I could say more but in case someone wants to listen and has not heard this engrossing tale, I dare not spoil it. Even though both versions delve in a different paths, they both end up with the same conclusion which was the most poignant ending for a human to take heart and heed.
The Weird Circle February 13, 1944
https://www.oldtimeradiodownloads.com...
The Weird Circle February 13, 1944
https://www.oldtimeradiodownloads.com...
February 19, 2019
Although “Ethan Brand” was originally conceived by Hawthorne as the concluding chapter of a much longer work, this fragment is nonetheless a finished work, reflective of Hawthorne’s central concerns. What inspired it? The sight of a burning lime-kiln Hawthorne once glimpsed during a midnight walk on Mount Greylock.
It tells of Ethan Brand, and his return to his old lime kiln after years of wandering. He traveled, he says, in search of “the unpardonable sin,” which Brand—conversing with Bartram, the present operator of the kiln—claims to have found. Bartram sends his young son Joe down the hil,to inform the frequenters of the local tavern that Ethan Brand has returned, and soon a small crowd—including the local station-agent, an old man mourning for his missing daughter, and the Wandering Jew, who exhibitor of a mysterious diorama and seems to be acquainted with Brand—crowds around the legendary traveler.
You can discover the fate of Ethan Brand for yourself. I will conclude with a passage about his quest, similar to that of other Hawthorne’s characters—Rappaccini, the man with the Bosom Serpent, the Artist of the Beautiful, and others (perhaps even Hawthorne himself?)—whose hearts grow cold in the quest for knowledge and perfection, and, by doing so, imperil their souls:
The Idea that possessed his life had operated as a means of education; it had gone on cultivating his powers to the highest point of which they were susceptible; it had raised him from the level of an unlettered laborer to stand on a star-lit eminence, whither the philosophers of the earth, laden with the lore of universities, might vainly strive to clamber after him. So much for the intellect! But where was the heart? That, indeed, had withered--had contracted--had hardened--had perished! It had ceased to partake of the universal throb. He had lost his hold of the magnetic chain of humanity. He was no longer a brother-man, opening the chambers or the dungeons of our common nature by the key of holy sympathy, which gave him a right to share in all its secrets; he was now a cold observer, looking on mankind as the subject of his experiment, and, at length, converting man and woman to be his puppets, and pulling the wires that moved them to such degrees of crime as were demanded for his study.
Thus Ethan Brand became a fiend. He began to be so from the moment that his moral nature had ceased to keep the pace of improvement with his intellect. And now, as his highest effort and inevitable development--as the bright and gorgeous flower, and rich, delicious fruit of his life's labor--he had produced the Unpardonable Sin!
July 13, 2025
2.5
Weird.
Weird.
October 28, 2019
Nice spooky short story.
The language does not catch the reader's attention so hard, it lacks more life and atmosphere. Although, some descriptions have grasped my deeper attention.
It would be better if the content was based upon something paranormal.
The language does not catch the reader's attention so hard, it lacks more life and atmosphere. Although, some descriptions have grasped my deeper attention.
It would be better if the content was based upon something paranormal.
October 6, 2025
Rating: 7/10
A fable of intellect turned to ash — where symbolism weighs as much as a heart.
This short story hit the right spot for me and was a pleasant surprise.
My experience with Nathaniel Hawthorne has been limited. I once had the chance to read The Scarlet Letter, but never did — I wasn’t drawn to him as a writer, and he seems to be one of those authors who is slowly fading into obscurity.
The few pieces I had read before, especially his retellings of Greek myths, felt overly softened and full of notions that repelled me, especially cheap morality.
Yet Ethan Brand completely shifted that impression, awakening a genuine interest in exploring more of his work.
Originally published in 1850 and subtitled “A Chapter from an Abortive Romance,” Ethan Brand was conceived as part of a larger, unfinished project — a philosophical novel that never materialized. This awareness that the story might have belonged to something greater adds a peculiar charm: it feels like a fragment burned free from its original design, self-contained yet haunted by absence.
Hawthorne’s prose is good — not excessively ornate, but beautiful and stimulating enough to hold my attention, especially through the symbolism scattered throughout the story. Every image seems to carry hidden weight: the lime-kiln as both furnace and altar, the grotesque laughter rolling through the night like a horror beyond imagination, the villagers who mirror the dim survival of humanity, the worst and best that Ethan decided to deny.
Hawthorne transforms intellectual pride into damnation — a man so consumed by thought that he extinguishes empathy itself. The “unpardonable sin” is not an action but a condition: the isolation of intellect from the heart, the spiritual petrification of one who sought truth at the cost of your humanity.
But much more can be imagined about this sin. As soon as it was first mentioned in the story I started thinking. Suicide? A denial of one’s humanity, a yearning for unholy apotheosis? What does it say about me that, as soon as Ethan Brand appeared, those were the answers I immediately sensed?
Even though I predicted the ending, it didn’t lessen the impact — it was one of those rare cases where foreseeing the conclusion brings a peculiar satisfaction. His heart turning to stone is the most evident symbol, yet Hawthorne leaves it suspended in implication, resisting any single, final interpretation.
While reading, I kept recalling Italo Calvino’s If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler, particularly the third narrative, the so-called “symbolic-interpretive novel.” Ethan Brand feels like its 19th-century counterpart — not only for its layered symbolism but for the air of incompleteness surrounding it, that same haunting uncertainty of whether the story is a fragment of a larger narrative or a closed allegory that pretends to be unfinished. Both works exist in that liminal space between fiction and interpretation, where the mystery of what is missing becomes part of the meaning itself. Hawthorne may have intended a moral fable, but what endures is something more ambiguous and profound: a metaphysical riddle that burns through its own form, leaving only the trace of ash and thought behind.
So yes, I recommend this story to those who like to rack their brains with interpretations and ambiguity — when you finish reading something and feel, with a certain anxiety and pleasure, that you’ve still left something behind.
A fable of intellect turned to ash — where symbolism weighs as much as a heart.
This short story hit the right spot for me and was a pleasant surprise.
My experience with Nathaniel Hawthorne has been limited. I once had the chance to read The Scarlet Letter, but never did — I wasn’t drawn to him as a writer, and he seems to be one of those authors who is slowly fading into obscurity.
The few pieces I had read before, especially his retellings of Greek myths, felt overly softened and full of notions that repelled me, especially cheap morality.
Yet Ethan Brand completely shifted that impression, awakening a genuine interest in exploring more of his work.
Originally published in 1850 and subtitled “A Chapter from an Abortive Romance,” Ethan Brand was conceived as part of a larger, unfinished project — a philosophical novel that never materialized. This awareness that the story might have belonged to something greater adds a peculiar charm: it feels like a fragment burned free from its original design, self-contained yet haunted by absence.
Hawthorne’s prose is good — not excessively ornate, but beautiful and stimulating enough to hold my attention, especially through the symbolism scattered throughout the story. Every image seems to carry hidden weight: the lime-kiln as both furnace and altar, the grotesque laughter rolling through the night like a horror beyond imagination, the villagers who mirror the dim survival of humanity, the worst and best that Ethan decided to deny.
Hawthorne transforms intellectual pride into damnation — a man so consumed by thought that he extinguishes empathy itself. The “unpardonable sin” is not an action but a condition: the isolation of intellect from the heart, the spiritual petrification of one who sought truth at the cost of your humanity.
But much more can be imagined about this sin. As soon as it was first mentioned in the story I started thinking. Suicide? A denial of one’s humanity, a yearning for unholy apotheosis? What does it say about me that, as soon as Ethan Brand appeared, those were the answers I immediately sensed?
Even though I predicted the ending, it didn’t lessen the impact — it was one of those rare cases where foreseeing the conclusion brings a peculiar satisfaction. His heart turning to stone is the most evident symbol, yet Hawthorne leaves it suspended in implication, resisting any single, final interpretation.
While reading, I kept recalling Italo Calvino’s If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler, particularly the third narrative, the so-called “symbolic-interpretive novel.” Ethan Brand feels like its 19th-century counterpart — not only for its layered symbolism but for the air of incompleteness surrounding it, that same haunting uncertainty of whether the story is a fragment of a larger narrative or a closed allegory that pretends to be unfinished. Both works exist in that liminal space between fiction and interpretation, where the mystery of what is missing becomes part of the meaning itself. Hawthorne may have intended a moral fable, but what endures is something more ambiguous and profound: a metaphysical riddle that burns through its own form, leaving only the trace of ash and thought behind.
So yes, I recommend this story to those who like to rack their brains with interpretations and ambiguity — when you finish reading something and feel, with a certain anxiety and pleasure, that you’ve still left something behind.
April 27, 2020
Warning, contains light spoilers. Read with caution.
Nathaniel Hawthorne is an amazing author, he never fails to deliver. Not even with his short stories.
I did enjoy this short story. I think the best scenes are between Ethan Brand and Bartham. The atmosphere in those scenes was great. Personally, I found the introduction of the other characters later to feel slightly off. It slowed down the pace in an odd way. Maybe that was Hawthorne's intention, but I could have gone without. Regardless, still great.
At the heart of the story is the idea of the "Unpardonable Sin". A sin that goes against God in such an intense way, not even Heaven could forgive it. I was a little worried about what this sin could be. I didn't want to it be cliche or too on the nose. However Hawthorne delivered and I was satisfied.
Haunting in tone and substance, this is a great example of American gothic literature.
Nathaniel Hawthorne is an amazing author, he never fails to deliver. Not even with his short stories.
I did enjoy this short story. I think the best scenes are between Ethan Brand and Bartham. The atmosphere in those scenes was great. Personally, I found the introduction of the other characters later to feel slightly off. It slowed down the pace in an odd way. Maybe that was Hawthorne's intention, but I could have gone without. Regardless, still great.
At the heart of the story is the idea of the "Unpardonable Sin". A sin that goes against God in such an intense way, not even Heaven could forgive it. I was a little worried about what this sin could be. I didn't want to it be cliche or too on the nose. However Hawthorne delivered and I was satisfied.
Haunting in tone and substance, this is a great example of American gothic literature.
November 14, 2020
1852. Audio version narrated by Geraint Wyn Davies. This story starts out so good with a strange encounter. A stranger approaches a man and his son who are working at a lime kiln. Imagine an odd unknown person approaching in the dark with only the light from the fire of a burning kiln. The young boy is spooked, but the dad is acting tough. It's all downhill from there on. The stranger rants about his search for the unpardonable sin, the villagers come and put their two cents in, a 'wandering Jew' with a diorama shows up, a dog wigs out; then there is a very predictable ending.
May 17, 2023
Not too impressed with this short story! I did enjoy reading it but it was just too vague for me. What was the nature of the psychological experiment that Ethan Brand performed on Old Humphreys daughter? What was the unpardonable sin? So Ethan just became super intellectual by pondering thoughts while stoking the Kiln? The dots just weren’t connecting on this one.
September 24, 2024
Hawthorne Hawks #74
The quest has reached #74 and it may be a little while before #75 is reached as I enter one of the longer works from Hawthorne, but I digress, this was an interesting yarn from Hawthorne, although I kept thinking it was Ethan Frame, which of course is a different book from a biddy, but anyway, this geezer's Ethan was a decent read.
The quest has reached #74 and it may be a little while before #75 is reached as I enter one of the longer works from Hawthorne, but I digress, this was an interesting yarn from Hawthorne, although I kept thinking it was Ethan Frame, which of course is a different book from a biddy, but anyway, this geezer's Ethan was a decent read.
September 19, 2018
It is a rather dark and even demented story about a man who sets off to discover the unforgivable sin and cannot live with himself once he finds it.
October 1, 2021
4 out of 5
February 7, 2023
43 mins. I read this on Hoopla. I borrowed an Ebook and an Eaudiobook from Hoopla! I read this because it was mentioned in "Memnoch the Devil" by Anne Rice on page 126.
January 3, 2026
whole time i was reading i was just questioning why i'm supposed to give a shit tbh
Want to read
December 13, 2015Free download available at Project Gutenberg.
Little Masterpieces
Edited by Bliss Perry
Nathaniel Hawthorne
DR. HEIDEGGER'S EXPERIMENT
THE BIRTHMARK
ETHAN BRAND
WAKEFIELD
DROWNE'S WOODEN IMAGE
THE AMBITIOUS GUEST
THE GREAT STONE FACE
THE GRAY CHAMPION
Little Masterpieces
Edited by Bliss Perry
Nathaniel Hawthorne
DR. HEIDEGGER'S EXPERIMENT
THE BIRTHMARK
ETHAN BRAND
WAKEFIELD
DROWNE'S WOODEN IMAGE
THE AMBITIOUS GUEST
THE GREAT STONE FACE
THE GRAY CHAMPION
January 5, 2017
The One Where...wait...you burn MARBLE to make lime? Seriously? But it's MARBLE.
This is one of Hawthorne's I'm Going To Allude To The Thing But Never Actually Identify The Thing stories.
There's a lot to unpack here, and everything's open to the reader's interpretation, including who the true sinners really are.
It also works just as a spooky story.
This is one of Hawthorne's I'm Going To Allude To The Thing But Never Actually Identify The Thing stories.
There's a lot to unpack here, and everything's open to the reader's interpretation, including who the true sinners really are.
It also works just as a spooky story.
January 26, 2016
It’s very detailed. I wasn’t surprised by the ending.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews