Snow Flakes

Hawthorne, Nathaniel, 1804-1864Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.8

Word count: 12K words
Chapters: 2

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Snow Flakes (From "Twice Told Tales") by Nathaniel HawthorneAuthor: Hawthorne, Nathaniel, 1804-1864,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Nov 1, 2005

Editor's review

"Snow Flakes" also belongs to Hawthorne's Twice-Told Tales series. It is a short, refined prose piece that takes gentle imagery as its title and continues Hawthorne's attention to the subtle workings of the human heart and moral life. The text does not advance mainly through events; instead, it builds atmosphere through the narrator's observation and association. The language is concise, making it a light sample for experiencing Hawthorne's short-form structure. The free electronic edition from Project Gutenberg is easy to access at any time and can be used for selected readings of the English original, stylistic analysis in writing classes, or as supplementary material for understanding nineteenth-century American short fiction. While reading, one may note how the imagery is repeatedly touched upon and how the narrative tone reveals meaning within calmness.

Who it's for

A good fit for

English readers who want to approach Hawthorne through a short piece
Writing students who need an English short text for stylistic analysis
Readers who enjoy prose with delicate imagery and a slow pace

Not a good fit for

Genre fiction readers who prefer a complete plotline and character arcs
Younger readers who need modern annotations and guided introductions

Reading tips

On the first pass, simply finish reading; on the second, sort out the relationship between the imagery and the narrator.
Read it alongside "Chippings with a Chisel" from the same collection and compare the two pieces' materials and tone.
Excerpt two or three sentences that best embody Hawthorne's tone and add brief annotations.
Read only a small section at a time, maintain a slow reading pace, and avoid chasing speed.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What is the relationship between this work and "Chippings with a Chisel"?

According to the materials, both pieces come from Hawthorne's Twice-Told Tales and are short works in that collection. Both are fairly brief and can be read comparatively within the same reading plan to appreciate the shared tendencies in Hawthorne's short fiction.

Do I need to know Hawthorne's biography before reading this?

Not necessarily. The work itself is short and its imagery clear, so a direct reading can provide a basic appreciation. If you want to understand its symbolism and historical background, supplementing it with Hawthorne's biography and general knowledge of nineteenth-century American literature will be more thorough.

Does this electronic edition include annotations or an introduction?

The materials indicate that this edition is a free English ebook released by Project Gutenberg and do not state that it contains modern annotations or an introduction. Readers who need supplementary materials may use relevant literary histories or annotated editions alongside it.

Comments

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About the author

Hawthorne, Nathaniel, 1804-1864 Author

Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804–1864) was an American novelist known for his engagement with Puritan tradition and moral allegory. He wrote about sin, guilt, confession, and social prejudice in a restrained style with vivid imagery, often using historical settings and legendary tales to reveal the subtleties of human nature. The collection here holds 98 of his works, including the frequently translated novel The Scarlet Letter, the short-story collection Twice-Told Tales, and children's books drawn from myth and legend such as A Wonder Book for Girls & Boys, Tanglewood Tales, The Gorgon's Head, and The Three Golden Apples, showing his dual interest in New England history and classical myth. His writing has had a lasting influence on American literature's treatment of conscience and identity. Publicly available details of his life are limited, so they are not elaborated here.