The House of the Seven Gables

De: Nathaniel Hawthorne

Narrado por: Anthony Heald

In a sleepy little New England village stands a dark, weather-beaten, many-gabled house. This brooding mansion is haunted by a centuries-old curse that casts the shadow of ancestral sin upon the last four members of the distinctive Pyncheon family of Salem.

The greed and haughty pride of the Pyncheon family through the generations is mirrored in the gloomy decay of their seven-gabled mansion, where the family's enfeebled and impoverished relations now live. Mysterious deaths threaten the living. Musty documents nestle behind hidden panels carrying the secret of the family's salvation - or its downfall.

A brilliant intertwining of the popular, the symbolic, and the historical, Hawthorne's Gothic romance is a powerful exploration of personal and national guilt, a work that Henry James declared "the closest approach we are likely to have to the Great American Novel".

Public Domain (P)2008 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

great narration!

it's an American classic with a lot of old writing. but the narration really worked! his inflection and character voice's really helped keep the story flowing and helped me enjoy this story that much more.

Some editing errors

The recording is fine, but the editor missed some retakes. There are a few instances of repeated lines.

A bit slow in places, but a good story

A bit slow in places but a good story. If there is an abridged version, I am sure nothing would be missed.

Mr. Heald Delivers

Anthony Heald’s narration brings the story to life. Hawthorne seems to be one of the few authors of classic literature that doesn’t induce chronic eye rolling. He is, however, verbose to the point of tedium...ad nauseam, etc. If it weren’t for the five-star narration, I may have missed out on, what is invariably a silly story, but enjoyable nonetheless.

very much enjoyed the story and the performance

what a great performer. brings all the characters alive. perfect metre and execution. and another great classic devoured. thanks audible!

Excellent performance of a classic romance

Narrator Anthony Heald did an outstanding job bringing this intricate tale of human nature to life. Fine rendition of the literally fabulous characters. This recording really does justice to the classic.

Excellent reading of this story

The narrator is quite skilled in bringing out the irony and drama in Hawthorne’s story and the performance combined with the text leads to some very heightened moments, especially toward the end. Recommend this performance.

Don’t worry it’s redemptive

I was concerned that this book would settle in the dark and leave me hanging for redemptive quality at the end , but it didn’t. It was definitely a dark read but peppered with light.

The house of the seven gables

Excellent sound quality and choice of reader. A good production indeed. I liked how the novel was dramatized.

Classic read with pleasant voice, great articulation.

Anthony Heald brings Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic to life. He is able to create and maintain a unique voice for each main character.

No need to critique Mr. Hawthorne he continues to stand in a league of his own. This is intelligent reading/listening.