The Blithedale Romance

[Ell]

by Nathaniel Hawthorne
it's hard to say this is Hawthorne at his best, because he was at his best in The Scarlet Letter and House of the Seven Gables. but, as usual, it's a really great book. with three masterpieces, Hawthorne takes his place as one of the giants of American letters; brilliant, but amusing and accessible. don't miss it!

[stencil]

I would recommend getting a good short story collection by him if you haven't already done so.   Rappaccini's Daughter is one of my favorite short stories.

[Ell]

yeah for some reason i seem to end up reading "Rappaccini's Daughter" once every few years, and actually read it this year, too.