jjares reviewed Nathaniel Hawthorne: A Life from Beginning to End (Biographies of American Authors) on + 3413 more book reviews
Nathaniel Hawthorne is a fascinating author. One sentence encapsulates my view of this author, "Nathaniel Hawthorne was a firm believer in sin and the necessity of feeling guilt in order to achieve that state of redemption." (Introduction, page 2) Hawthorne came from a long line of Puritans*, and he grappled with his knowledge of them and their times. This biography offers everything I expect in a bio: Not only an explanation of his life and experiences, but the time in which he lived, his peers, and his effects on the world of writing.
The Puritans put the community above the individual. They had rigid laws, to be observed at all times. They saw no irony in escaping religious persecution in England and then establishing a rigid theocratic society in America. Interestingly, John Hathorne was a judge at the Salem Witch Trials (and an ancestor of Hawthorne).
Because Nathaniel's sea-faring father died young, his mother, Elizabeth moved back to her family's home. Her family may have moved on to Unitarianism, but Elizabeth was a stern Puritan at heart. Nathaniel grappled with money concerns most of his life. This bio described Nathaniel's books in detail while explaining where his thoughts came from and why they were important to early American readers.
Having read THE HOUSE OF SEVEN GABLES not too long ago, Hawthorne still speaks to his readers. I thought the book to be very powerful; I'm delighted to learn about the author's life and how they caused him to write such an incredible book.
* Remember: The Puritans are different from the Pilgrims. The Pilgrims wanted to separate the church and state while the Puritans saw the church and state as one necessary entity.
The Puritans put the community above the individual. They had rigid laws, to be observed at all times. They saw no irony in escaping religious persecution in England and then establishing a rigid theocratic society in America. Interestingly, John Hathorne was a judge at the Salem Witch Trials (and an ancestor of Hawthorne).
Because Nathaniel's sea-faring father died young, his mother, Elizabeth moved back to her family's home. Her family may have moved on to Unitarianism, but Elizabeth was a stern Puritan at heart. Nathaniel grappled with money concerns most of his life. This bio described Nathaniel's books in detail while explaining where his thoughts came from and why they were important to early American readers.
Having read THE HOUSE OF SEVEN GABLES not too long ago, Hawthorne still speaks to his readers. I thought the book to be very powerful; I'm delighted to learn about the author's life and how they caused him to write such an incredible book.
* Remember: The Puritans are different from the Pilgrims. The Pilgrims wanted to separate the church and state while the Puritans saw the church and state as one necessary entity.
