Julia and I share an appreciation of The House of Seven Gables, an affection that was not shared by many of our worthy group co-readers this past week. But undaunted by those yawns and complaints, we have decided to push on together, and read The Blithedale Romance together the first week of November. We will post and discuss beginning on Friday, November 4 and chat through the weekend hopefully. Join us?
Before you decide, I would like to candidly warn you that many think of this book as the weakest Hawthorne link, a dull and plodding exploration of utopian agrarian vision in 19th century America that bears a startling resemblance to a communal living experience of the author, even going so far as to borrow excerpts from his journals. But.... much like The House of the Seven Gables, this book hides so much behind its easily accessible veneer that I welcome all of you to come dig with us. For the humor, for the subtext that is revealing of not just the author but of a key time of transition between restrictive Puritan ethics and an increasingly individualistic culture. That being said, I am assuming it will be just me and Julia, but I could not hope for better company. Surprise me? Sign on to read with us?
