Haunting Tales

by Nathaniel Hawthorne

EERIE...
FANTASTIC...
SURREAL...

Shadowy stories by the author of The Scarlet Letter!

The Birth-mark--a mad scientist is obsessed by his wife's imperfection!

Dr. Heidegger's Experiment--has he really discovered the Fountain of Youth?

The Minister's Black Veil--why does it terrify all those who see it?

The Artist of the Beautiful--can a poor watchmaker create a real butterfly?

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Classics, Fiction, Gothic

86 pages

First published June 1, 1980

About the author

Nathaniel 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.

Reviews

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hawthorne's stories are good. He has an excellent command of the language, and posessess a curious & peculiar imagination for establishing the premise of a story. He does tend to be wordy, even belabor a point at times. (We must remember that he wrote at a time when editing was indeed laborious work, while fewer things competed for the reader's attention). In any case, it's worth hanging in there. He's quite a creative genius, and supremely masterful in the art of suggestion/insinuation.

[Mitchell Steinberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

They are certainly not "scary" stories, but can still be called "haunting" as they peel back the veil on some unsettling aspects of human nature. I particularly liked "The Artist of the Beautiful," and despite the antiquated style of prose I think the themes of the stories carry through to the modern day.

[Polka-Dot · Rating 3 out of 5]

What this book lacks in page numbers, it makes up in complex language, a high level read for sure. This is a good book for a night where you want to think. Overall though, not my favorite genera or style.

[Avel Deleon · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best story in here is the "The Birth-mark-- a mad scientist is obsessed by his wife's imperfection!

[Kate Shanks · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is nothing terribly haunting about these 4 tales. Hawthorne was better in the realistic genre.

[Kelsey Grissom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yes, haunting in a very specific sense of the word.

[Pam A · Rating 2 out of 5]

classic tales of ghost stories - but writing from Hawthornes day is different from current. Felt like I was back in college/high school. Not really scary but historical. Good nostalgia.

[Jessica Owsley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed Dr Heidegger’s Experiment the most. The storytelling made me feel like I was in the story. The others were good.

[Stephanne Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I once saw Patrick Stewart do a one man story telling of Charles Dickens, A Christmas Tale. It was amazing! I think that the last tale, The Artist of the Beautiful in Nathaniel Hawthorne's Haunting Tales could easily be done on stage in such a manner. That's just a personal thought.

As for the writing, it was great. Honestly, this book made me realize that I need to expand and polish up my vocabulary. I think I have been around little peeps too long and have lost my ability to use the educated vocabulary that I do have. I needed to sit with a dictionary to make sure I knew what his meaning was instead of glazing through and assuming I knew what he meant. So for me this was a short, but challenging book.

I'll have to reread the last tale, I think I missed some of the moral insight. Other than that it was a read for the long wait at the airport.

[PurplyCookie · Rating 1 out of 5]

A classic short story collection made up of the following: The Birth-mark, Dr. Heidegger's Experiment, The Minister's Black Veil, The Artist of the Beautiful, all of which are unfortunately not at all horrific and indeed, are quite forgettable.


Book Details:

Title Haunting Tales
Author Nathaniel Hawthorne
Reviewed By Purplycookie

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good stories, however, I was expecting more suspense and inexplicable occurrences similar to M.R. James' Ghost Stories, but these fall more into a sci-fi, H.G. Wells style of story. All very good, but not what I was craving this October!

[Kathryn Grace Loves Horror · Rating 3 out of 5]

I first read this book about 25 years ago when I got it from a Scholastic book fair at my school. I didn't love it then, but I appreciate Hawthorne's writing much better now as an adult, so I decided to give it another go.

So, did I like it better this time?

No, not really.

[Candice · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe what used to be haunting isn't so haunting anymore.

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe three and a half stars. Very short. A collection of four stories, the most chilling of which is "the Minister's Black Veil."

[Hanaa · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 if I'm being nice. haha.

[Ed Patterson]

These stories were haunting, but not today. However, the ironies and dark turns make the stories timeless.