The Old Manse

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

3.8

Word count: 62K 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 Old Manse (From "Mosses from an Old Manse") 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

"The Old Manse" comes from Hawthorne's collection Mosses from an Old Manse and is a celebrated autobiographical essay. Taking the old house where he lived as its center, the author writes of the mansion's history, the surrounding scenery, and traces of former residents, weaving personal experience, local New England memory, and meditative reflection together. The prose is unhurried and restrained, rich in detail; readers can sense both Hawthorne's sensitivity to old things and the past and his characteristic way of moving from concrete space to philosophical thought. For those who want to know Hawthorne's essayistic side or are interested in nineteenth-century American intellectual life, this is an engaging selection. The original language is elegant and suited to close reading and parallel reading; moderate in length, it can be read in one sitting in a quiet setting and then revisited for structure.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who want to know Hawthorne's autobiographical essays and Mosses from an Old Manse
Those interested in nineteenth-century New England local memory and mansion culture
Learners who need moderately difficult English prose for close reading
Slow readers who enjoy contemplation prompted by space and old objects

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer strong plot and fast-paced narrative
Those with weak English who find elegant long sentences difficult
Readers seeking systematic historical knowledge rather than literary experience

Reading tips

Learn the background of Mosses from an Old Manse first, then read this essay; it will be easier to grasp the purpose of the mansion descriptions.
Trace the descriptions of the mansion and its surroundings in spatial order and draw a simple structural map to aid understanding.
Pick out the reflective passages and reread them separately to see how Hawthorne moves from objects to thought.
Compare with other Hawthorne essays to see how his handling of scenery differs from his handling of people.

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 essay and Mosses from an Old Manse?

This essay is one piece in Mosses from an Old Manse and is autobiographical, centering on the old house where the author lived for description and reflection. It can be seen as a microcosm of the collection's overall themes and a good entry point into the collection.

What background should I know before reading?

It helps to know that Hawthorne lived in the Old Manse in Concord and to understand the cultural atmosphere of nineteenth-century New England. Without that background, you can read the text first and then fill in literary-historical context for a fuller understanding.

Is it suitable as material for translation practice?

Yes. The descriptions are finely wrought, the reflective layers are clear, and the sentence structures are somewhat complex, making it useful for practicing sentence division and tone. It is advisable to translate a paragraph or two yourself first, then check wording and rhythm against a reference translation.

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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.