The Blithedale Romance

Description

The Blithedale Romance is a historical novel by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne. Originally published in 1852, the book is set in a utopian farming commune which was based on a place called Brook Farm, where Hawthorne lived in 1841. Narrated by one of the main characters, Miles Coverdale, the book tells of his experiences when he moves into the community of Blithedale, and of his relationships with Zenobia, a beautiful woman who enchants Miles; Hollingsworth, a previous acquaintance of Miles who joins him at the commune; and Priscilla, a timid girl who arrives with Hollingsworth. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that the ideals of the commune are completely at odds with the desires of the people within it. The real Brook Farm which Hawthorne was a co-founder of, attracted many famous Transcendentalists such as Ralph Waldo Emerson. However in the numerous letters written to his wife it is clear that Hawthorne was skeptical about the ideals of the utopian life, and these feelings are reflected in the novel. Whilst the author claimed the characters were entirely fictitious, this has been widely disputed. Miles, the narrator, is almost certainly Hawthorne himself.

This book has 76,259 words, 129 pages in the PDF version, and was originally published in 1852.

Production notes: This ebook of The Blithedale Romance was published by Global Grey on the 21st July 2022. The artwork used for the cover is 'Long Island Homestead, Study from Nature' by Andrew W. Warren.