The House of Seven Gables, by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a very interesting read. It takes a while to really get into the story, and while the beginning chapters have a small tie into the story, I am not sure they could be considered a necessity to the plot. This is one of the biggest turnoffs of this book. The reason I really dislike this aspect is, right when I started getting into the plot that Nathaniel was working into, he changed into a completely different plot and it took me even longer to get into this plot. In all actuality, it took about the first quarter of the book to really begin enjoying the main plot.
When we finally get into the main plot, we meet Hephzibah, a grumpy elderly woman who lives in a giant house with only her brother, Clifford. It is immediately obvious that she does not have a good reputation among the neighbors. Soon, a distant relative, Phoebe, crashes the house, asking Hephzibah to take her in for a while. Although Hephzibah is obviously unsure about the situation, she cannot surpass Phoebe's constant persistence, and allows the young woman to stay.
Phoebe is a ray of light in the House of the Seven Gables, lightening the moods and attitudes of both of the inhabitants of the house. Of course, things are not happy in the house. The real crisis begins when Judge Pyncheon, another distant cousin of Hephzibah's, visits the house. Of course, it would rude to ruin the plot for you, so I'll leave you with that little cliff-hanger.
All in all, I give this book THREE STARS OUT OF A POTENTIAL FIVE. When the plot finally becomes consistent, and begins thickening, it becomes very enjoyable. However, it takes FAR too long for the plot to become consistent and enjoyable, at least for my personal tastes. The older style of writing takes a bit of time to get used to (the book having been written in 1851), but it is actually quite accessible for being over 150 years old!
Reading Next:: Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller (I'm a little scared!!)
