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Title: The Marble Faun by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Richard H. Brodhead ISBN: 0-14-039077-4 Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: November, 1990 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $9.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.4 (15 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: Not for everyone...
Comment: Hawthorne's Marble Faun is not a book I would recommend to the casual reader, unless you are enthralled by highly exaggerated, unrealistic melodramas involving grossly stereotyped, one-dimensional characters (Miriam and Donatello are more intriguing and less one-dimensional, although this is simply my opinion). One must take into account that this is a gothic novel and is written in a period where "political correctness" is not yet a term, and where puritanical ideals and mores are the central focus of the story-teller.Therefore, one cannot hold against Hawthorne the fact that Italians are depicted as uncivilized imbeciles (for lack of a better word), nor that sin and religion are central themes - he simply wrote in accordance with the time in which he lived. Surely the fact that he is a masterful writer excuses his weaknesses in other areas. The story itself, though overly melodramatic and at times frustratingly so, is interesting in the way soap operas or shows like Melrose Place often are; as nauseatingly emotional as the characters are, and as disgusting as their actions or predicaments may be, there is a depth of raw emotion that draws us in, and something akin to the curiosity one may have in looking at a freak show. We are repelled yet drawn in at the same time, unable to resist wondering what lies ahead, yet partially aware of what will happen, of what must happen, for the story to play through the way it was intended. I myself was drawn into the innocent one-sided romance between Donatello and Miriam that gradually grows into a torrid affair - I truly could not put the book down until I found out how it all turned out between them. However, once that part of the novel was resolved, I found little incentive to continue. Hilda was stiff, did not draw sympathy, and her religious piety mixed with a severity usually associated with bitter spinsters I personally found repellent. Kenyon, the sculpture who seeks a romance with her, was equally boring with his wimpy, "I-agree-with-anything-you-say" romantic tactics. Needless to say, I was as intrigued by their romance as by two limp noodles stuck to the bottom of a pot. My suggestion: Read up till the chapter entitled "The Bronze Pontiff's Benediction" (I won't tell if you skip through the endless descriptions of art & architecture and go straight to the good parts). Then skim for plot ("A Frolic of the Carnival" has some interesting parts) and head straight to the last chapter and the postscript that follows - a must-read, as here we get a few last words on Donatello and Miriam, as well as a summation of the question that forms the novel - here you finally discover what thought process drove Hawthorne to write this story in the first place!
A must for romantics and anyone who enjoys a bit of a philosophical challenge!
Rating: 5
Summary: The Best American novel
Comment: I'm not a big fan of The Scarlet Letter, but The Marble Faun is, in my opinion, the best American novel ever written. Although it can move slowly when Hawthorne describes various architectural sites throughout Rome, the rest of the story is a theodicy of great power and imagination. Hawthorne uses a brilliant combination of mythology, history, and humanity in this piece. A must for anybody who loves Italy. This book has been overlooked for more than three generations now...it's time it was uncovered!
Rating: 4
Summary: Maybe not Hawthorne's best, but still good
Comment: This is a great book for people who have been to Rome or are going to Rome. However, as with most of Hawthorne's novels, some patience is required. I found that the first half of this book moved along quickly and was, in a word, enchanting. The second half was not quite as engaging and the end seemed somewhat abrupt to me. I almost felt that Hawthorne was in a rush to finish. Not that I didn't enjoy it. I was just left on the last page saying, "What? Where's the rest of the book?" I'll admit it though, I'm a Hawthorne fan and despite it's imperfections this is a worthwhile read and one of my personal favorites.
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Title: The Blithedale Romance by John Updike, Nathaniel Hawthorne ISBN: 0375757201 Publisher: Modern Library Pub. Date: 14 August, 2001 List Price(USD): $7.95 |
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Title: Projecting the Past: Ancient Rome, Cinema, and History (The New Ancient World) by Maria Wyke ISBN: 0415906148 Publisher: Routledge Pub. Date: April, 1997 List Price(USD): $25.95 |
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Title: Roderick Hudson by Henry James, Geoffrey Moore ISBN: 0140432647 Publisher: Viking Press Pub. Date: July, 1986 List Price(USD): $9.95 |
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Title: The House of Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne ISBN: 0553212702 Publisher: Bantam Pub. Date: 01 March, 1981 List Price(USD): $5.95 |
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Title: The Founders and the Classics: Greece, Rome, and the American Enlightenment by Carl J. Richard ISBN: 0674314263 Publisher: Belknap Pr Pub. Date: October, 1995 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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