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What Members Thought
I really enjoyed this book. I'm giving it 3.75 stars, because as gorgeous as the writing was, and as well-drawn as the characters and the old mansion were, nothing much really happened. It's not a spooky story, and it's not a romance, so if anyone's walking around with those impressions, let me erase those right now! I always thought this was a haunted house or ghost type of story, and it's really not. It's a little dark and brooding, but not spooky. And there is a very small romance aspect, but
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What a boring book. Nothing really happens in the whole book. Hepzibah Pyncheon opens a shop, her cousing Phoebe comes to live with her and then her brother Clifford returns home and they all hate Judge Pyncheon. I could care less about any of the characters and have no idea why this is one the 1001 books to read before you die list.
For sheer enjoyment, this is probably more of a 3-star book but I found it really interesting to read and think about Hawthorne writing when he did so I gave it 4 stars. There is a lot that is "of its time" in the novel but there is just as much that is as apt today as it was 150+ years ago.
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Jan 31, 2013
Kim DeCina
marked it as to-read
Feb 12, 2013
Meghan
marked it as to-read
Dec 30, 2013
The Literary Nomad (aka Alex)
marked it as to-read
May 27, 2015
Megan
marked it as to-read
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review of another edition
Shelves:
barnes-and-noble-classics
May 11, 2016
Martha
marked it as to-read
Aug 12, 2019
Helen (read247_instyle_inca)
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
gothic-novels
Jun 06, 2020
Jonathan
marked it as to-read
Dec 15, 2021
Mary Paul
marked it as to-read
Aug 20, 2023
Tracy
marked it as to-read
