The Gorgon's Head

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

4.3

Word count: 60K words
Chapters: 7

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. The Gorgon's Head by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Author: Hawthorne, Nathaniel, 1804-1864. Language: English. Class: PZ: Language and Literatures: Juvenile belles lettres. Release Date: Nov 1, 2005

Editor's review

This short work is Hawthorne's retelling of the Greek hero's slaying of the Gorgon, concentrated in plot and vivid in imagery, combining adventure with moral significance. Hawthorne's narration preserves the strange, uncanny quality of classical myth while adding fine psychological and scenic detail, making the hero's courage, wit, and sense of responsibility open to discussion. The convenient public-domain Project Gutenberg edition makes it suitable as a selection for English literature reading, comparative mythology, or classroom excerpt teaching. Its brevity allows readers to grasp the main line in a single reading and then revisit details to appreciate the author's rewriting strategies. Note that the language carries a nineteenth-century literary style, and some vocabulary and sentence patterns pose barriers for beginners; it is best used with annotations or a guide.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in Greek myth retellings and English short narrative
English teachers needing classroom excerpt material for close reading
Intermediate and advanced learners seeking to build English expression on classical themes
Young readers who enjoy heroic adventure and are willing to discuss courage and responsibility

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking a complete mythological genealogy and systematic commentary
Beginners with weak English who struggle with long sentences and classical vocabulary
Readers who prefer light, colloquial reading and have little tolerance for literary style

Reading tips

First reading: grasp the main plot; second reading: mark key sentences describing the Gorgon and the hero's psychology.
After reading, compare with the original myth, list details Hawthorne adds, removes, or emphasizes, and consider why.
For classroom use, select tense scenes for read-aloud and language-point analysis.
Focus discussion on the hero's judgment and costs when facing danger, rather than merely remembering plot.

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

How does this story differ from common versions of Greek myth?

Hawthorne offers a literary retelling within the classical mythic framework, strengthening scenic description and character psychology and adopting a narrative voice with moral significance, so it reads more like a nineteenth-century short story than a myth entry.

Can children read this book?

The story itself is heroic adventure material and suitable for young readers, but the English text has a classical literary style. Parents or teachers should provide background explanation and language support so that vocabulary difficulty does not discourage interest.

Is the electronic edition suitable for close-reading material?

Yes. It is short and clearly structured, convenient for repeated searching and excerpting. Read through first, then practice close reading of vocabulary, sentence patterns, and rewriting strategies section by section according to scenes.

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.