The House of Seven Gables Audiobook By Nathaniel Hawthorne cover art

The House of Seven Gables

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The House of Seven Gables

By: Nathaniel Hawthorne
Narrated by: Roslyn Alexander
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The House of the Seven Gables is a fixture in Salem - and seemingly fixed in time. As the ancestral home of the Pyncheon family, its current mistress is Hepzibah Pyncheon, who has retreated behind a wall of false gentility. But into these dreary surroundings comes Phoebe, a country cousin whose youthful energy and sense of romance bring renewed life to the family.Public Domain (P)1999 Recorded Books Classics Scary Greek Mythology Mythology Ancient Greece

Editorial reviews

Family feuds, treachery and deceit ultimately lead to wrongs set right and life renewed. Hawthorne's novel resounds with the literary style of his age. Roslyn Alexander's pleasant voice gives the story an uplifting and positive tone. The text, most of which is narration, benefits from her lighter style of narration. She performs female voices more successfully than male voices, which tend to sound strained. Alexander clearly pronounces words, adds emotional life to the characters and uses pauses and tonal changes to keep the listener interested. Her narration presents an easy way to enjoy this American classic.
Clever Multigenerational Mystery • Timeless Romance • Excellent Narration • Surprising Twist • Wonderful Story
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Alexander does a great job reading Hawthorne’s rollicking 19th century prose! Very fun to listen to.

Great narration

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Every time I start a new audiobook, the narrator’s voice is different than I expected. But the more time I spent with this one, the more I realized that she is precisely the person to be reading this lovely story.

My favorite fall read

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I added this title to my wish list simply to see what I remembered from English class late 1970s. I can’t say as I remembered much. Considering that it waswritten in a different century, some of it was wordy and disinteresting, but overall it is a clever multi-generational mystery that centers upon the story’s main character, the old House of the Seven Gables.

Reliving High School English Class

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Well written with a plot that keeps you guessing. I enjoyed the twist at the end and the narration.

Wonderful story

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Why must narrators take those quick, audible breaths that ruin the narration. It drives me crazy. Her voice, otherwise, is just fine. I just can’t stand those audible breaths. They should practice reading without doing so or not read at all. I might need to pay for a book if I really want to listen to it. I’ve read the book a few times and it’s one of my favorites so I may just move on and pay for something I haven’t yet read.

Breathy narrator

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I love Nathaniel Hawthorne. The old language is beautiful. It sounds like a poem in the form of a novel. Sigh.

Great narrator

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Firstly, the narration is excellent. Alexander does a wonderful job giving a voice to the story.
I think in the end, however, I dislike the style of Hawthorne's writing.
At times, it seems that he couldn't decide which manner of description he liked best, so he left them all in.
He described that monkey at least three different ways.
The story itself, for me, was merely fine. The long, loquacious details about almost everything felt tiresome to read and I didn't find the characters to be very engaging.
It just wasn't the book for me, but I don't think it is bad.

Not My Cup of Tea

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It's a historically important work in American Literature and so I am glad I listened to it. Provides insight into New England small town life of those times which I found a bonus. The author is able to make the same descriptive points about his characters endlessly. That dates the work and I can believe I am saying this, but an abridged version could exist and thereby appeal better to most modern listeners.

recommend with qualifications

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This Nathaniel Hawthorne classic is a timeless romance skillfully narrated by the matronly voice of Roslyn Alexander. Her voice pairs well with the story's matron, Hepzibah Pyncheon, to give the feeling as if she is relating her family history herself. Having actually read this novel in the pre-audiobook era and then tour the house itself in Salem, I found that this "book" brought back great memories. Those who enjoyed Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre and similar romance novels will never be disappointed by this classic.

Romance and Intrigue

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What a classic! The drama of it all and the beautiful language throught draws you in.

Thus book has it all!

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