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50 pages 1 hour read

The Blithedale Romance

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1851

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Book Brief

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Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Blithedale Romance

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1851
Book Details
Pages

204

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

Massachusetts • 1840s

Publication Year

1851

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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Super Short Summary

The Blithedale Romance follows poet Miles Coverdale as he joins the Blithedale Community, an experimental utopian commune. Coverdale's interactions with fellow members Zenobia, Hollingsworth, and Priscilla reveal hidden pasts and complex relationships, leading to disillusionment and tragedy. The novel explores themes of idealism, human nature, and the failure of utopian dreams. The novel refers to death by suicide.

Mysterious

Melancholic

Contemplative

Bittersweet

Romantic

Reviews & Readership

3.5

6,150 ratings

44%

Loved it

38%

Mixed feelings

18%

Not a fan

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Review Roundup

Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Blithedale Romance presents a rich exploration of utopian community life, interwoven with complex character studies and dark, Gothic undertones. Critics praise its profound themes and psychological depth, though some find its pacing sluggish and characters underdeveloped. Overall, it remains a compelling, if uneven, reflection on idealism and human nature.

Who should read this

Who Should Read The Blithedale Romance?

Readers who appreciate The Blithedale Romance by Nathaniel Hawthorne typically enjoy 19th-century American literature, intricate psychological exploration, and themes of utopian societies. Fans of Moby-Dick by Herman Melville or Walden by Henry David Thoreau may find it particularly engaging for its blend of social critique and transcendentalist thought.

3.5

6,150 ratings

44%

Loved it

38%

Mixed feelings

18%

Not a fan

Book Details
Pages

204

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

Massachusetts • 1840s

Publication Year

1851

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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