Sign-In
Cart
The Blithedale Romance
Hardcover
Publisher: Bibliotech Pr
Published: Jan 6 2023
Pages: 178
Weight: 0.85
Height: 0.56 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
The Blithedale Romance (1852) is a novel by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne. It is the third major romance, as he called the form. Its setting is a utopian farming commune based on Brook Farm, of which Hawthorne was a founding member and where he lived in 1841. The novel dramatizes the conflict between the commune's ideals and the members' private desires and romantic rivalries.
Following its publication, The Blithedale Romance was received with little enthusiasm by contemporary critics. As one reviewer claims, the preface which is merely a disclaimer of sorts, is by no means the least important part of it. In fact, to many reviews this simple, non-fictional disclaimer seems to be the most important part of the book. Many reviews refer to the preface of the novel and express skepticism in regard to Hawthorne's plea contained therein for the reader not to take the characters and occurrences of the novel as representative of real-life people and events. They claim that there is simply too much correlation between fiction and nonfiction. One reviewer states so vividly does [Hawthorne] present to us the scheme at Brook Farm, to which some of our acquaintance were parties, so sharply and accurately does he portray some incidents of life there, that we are irresistibly impelled to fix the real names of men and women to the characters of his book. As such they read into what Hawthorne writes about characters that have associated real-life figures.
However, other reviews, while stating that there is correlation between the fiction of the novel and reality, these correlations should not lead to association of fiction and non-fiction. One review states we can recognize in the personages of his Romance individual traits of several real characters who were [at Brook Farm], but no one has his or her whole counterpart in one who was actually a member of the community. There was no actual Zenobia, Hollingsworth, or Priscilla there, and no such catastrophe as described ever occurred there.
In Hawthorne (1879), Henry James called it the lightest, the brightest, the liveliest of Hawthorne's unhumorous fictions, while literary critic Richard Brodhead has described it as the darkest of Hawthorne's novels.
A great deal of modern criticism centers around the relation between fiction and non-fiction as well. Critics believe that when viewed as representative of Hawthorne's own life and beliefs, The Blithedale Romance provides insight into the mind of the author. According to critics, the novel can be seen as a reflection of the religious conflict Hawthorne faced throughout his life. Irving Howe summarizes this religious conflict, stating, Throughout his life Hawthorne was caught up in what we would call a crisis of religious belief. His acute moral sense had been largely detached from the traditional context of orthodox faith, but it had found little else in which to thrive. Although Hawthorne did not agree with Puritan dogmas, Transcendentalists often associated morality with observance of these dogmas. The novel presents an ironic contradiction between the perception of morality and actual morality, such as the Utopian Blithedale filled with sin and far less than moral individuals. Critics claim, therefore that Blithedale is an attempt by Hawthorne to represent morality as independent from faith. (wikipedia.org)
61 different editions
Also available
The Blithedale Romance. By: Nathaniel Hawthorne ( was the third of the major romances ) (Original Version)
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Paperback
Also from
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
The Scarlet Letter (Collector's Edition) (Laminated Hardback with Jacket)
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Hardcover
The House of the Seven Gables (Collector's Edition) (Laminated Hardback with Jacket)
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Hardcover
Tanglewood Tales: Tales from ancient Greece - Illustrated by Virginia Frances Sterrett
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Paperback
Tanglewood tales By: Nathaniel Hawthorne, Illustrated By: Virginia Frances Sterrett (1900-1931).: (Greek Mythology for Kids).A sequel to A
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Sterrett, Virginia Frances
Paperback
The Myths and Mythology Collection: 5-Book Paperback Boxed Set
Litchfield, Mary
Squire, Charles
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Paperback
The Scarlet Letter: A Guide to Reading and Reflecting
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Prior, Karen Swallow
Hardcover
The Scarlet Letter (Royal Collector's Edition) (Case Laminate Hardcover with Jacket)
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Hardcover
The Complete Works Of Nathaniel Hawthorne: The Snow-image And Other Twice-told Tales
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Hardcover
The House of the Seven Gables (Royal Collector's Edition) (Case Laminate Hardcover with Jacket)
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Hardcover
Feathertop: A Whimsical and Haunting Tale of Illusion, Vanity, and Identity
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Paperback
The Complete Works Of Nathaniel Hawthorne: The Snow-image And Other Twice-told Tales
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Paperback
The House of the Seven Gables: A Romance (Classics of Gothic Literature)
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Paperback
A Wonder Book and Tanglewood Tales, for Girls and Boys
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Parrish, Maxfield
Hardcover
Les Mousses d'Un Vieux Presbytere: Suivi de Hawthorne Et Ses Mousses Par Herman Melville
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Paperback
Classical Mythology: Myths and Legends of the Ancient World
Storr, F.
Turnbull, V. C.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Hardcover
A Collection of Short-stories
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Pittenger, Lemuel Arthur
Bjørnson, Bjørnstjerne
Hardcover
The Complete Works of Nathaniel Hawthorne (1909; Volume 2
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Lathrop, George Parsons
Hawthorne, Julian
Paperback
The Best of America: Seven Classic Short Stories
Poe, Edgar Allan
Irving, Washington
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Audio Book
La lettera scarlatta: Il coraggio di una donna contro il giudizio sociale.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Paperback
Our Old Home: A Series of English Sketches: Exploring Anglo-American Relations through Consular Experiences
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Paperback
La Letra Escarlata: La vida en la Aduana de Salem y el legado de los antepasados puritanos
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Paperback
The Great Stone Face: Tales of Identity and Destiny in the White Mountains
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Paperback
The Marble Faun; Or, The Romance of Monte Beni: The Enigmatic Allure of Ancient Rome and Its Timeless Mysteries
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Paperback
Classical Mythology: Myths and Legends of the Ancient World
Turnbull, V. C.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Storr, F.
Hardcover
The Works: Nathaniel Hawthorne And His Wife, A Biography, By Julian Hawthorne
Hawthorne, Julian
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Paperback
Twice-told Tales: Legends Of The Province House. The Haunted Mind. The Village Uncle. The Ambitious Guest. The Sister Years. Snow Flakes
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Paperback
The Marble Faun or the Romance of Monte Beni
Hawthorne, Julian
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Lathrop, George Parsons
Paperback
A Wonder-Book and Tanglewood Tales for Girls and Boys: Rediscovering Greek Myths Through a Child's Eyes
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Paperback
The Works: A Wonder-book. Tanglewood Tales. Grandfather's Chair
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Hawthorne, Julian
Paperback
Twice-Told Tales: The Gray Champion. Sunday at Home. the Wedding Knell. the Minister's Black Veil. the Maypole of Merry Mount. the Gentl
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Hardcover
The Complete Works of Nathaniel Hawthorne: Our Old Home, and English Note-Books
Lathrop, George Parsons
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Paperback
The Complete Writings of Nathaniel Hawthorne: With Portraits, Illustrations, and Facsimiles
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Hardcover
Grandfather's Chair: Or, True Stories from New England History, 1620-1808
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Paperback
The Complete Works of Nathaniel Hawthorne: 6
Lathrop, George Parsons
Hawthorne, Julian
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Hardcover
The Marble Faun; Or, The Romance of Monte Beni: Volume 1 - in large print
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Paperback
The Great Stone Face, and Other Tales of the White Mountains: in large print
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Paperback
The Great Stone Face, and Other Tales of the White Mountains: in large print
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Hardcover
The Scarlet Letter: New Edition - Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Paperback
The Scarlet Letter: New Premium Classic Edition - The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Paperback
Science Fiction of Antebellum America: An Anthology
Irving, Washington
Poe, Edgar Allan
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Paperback
Also in
Classic Fiction
James Fenimore Cooper: The Leatherstocking Tales Vol. 1 (Loa #26): The Pioneers / The Last of the Mohicans / The Prairie
Cooper, James Fenimore
Hardcover
Four Comedies: The Taming of the Shrew, a Midsummer Night's Dream, the Merchant of Venice, Twelfth Night
Shakespeare, William
Paperback
The Princess Bride Deluxe Limited Edition: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure
Goldman, William
Paperback
The Fellowship of the Ring: Being the First Part of the Lord of the Rings
Tolkien, J. R. R.
Paperback
The Lord of the Rings Illustrated by the Author: Illustrated by J.R.R. Tolkien
Tolkien, J. R. R.
Hardcover
The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure
Goldman, William
Hardcover
The Pilgrim's Progress: A Readable Modern-Day Version of John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress (Revised and easy-to-read)
Vermilye, Alan
Bunyan, John
Paperback
Frankenstein, Dracula, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Stevenson, Robert Louis
Stoker, Bram
Shelley, Mary
Paperback
The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure
Goldman, William
Paperback