The House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Rating: 2.5

What it's about: synopsis from Barnes&Noble.com

Greed, treachery, mesmerism, and murder are just some of the bricks Hawthorne uses to build The House of the Seven Gables. Generations before the present story begins, wealthy Colonel Pyncheon covets Matthew Maule’s land. When Maule is hanged for witchcraft, he puts a curse on the Colonel—and all his descendants. Now the menacing Judge Pyncheon continues the family tradition of hiding cruelty under a dazzling smile, while his scowling niece, Hepzibah, and half-mad nephew, Clifford, are reduced to poverty by his machinations. But the younger generation, embodied in their distant cousin, Phoebe, becomes a ray of hope penetrating the dark house.

My thoughts:

I enjoyed the first half or so of this book but the second half really dragged. I became bored with it and therefore it took me a long time to finish this. There really isn't much else to say about it. I liked the diversity of characters and at times the writing was great. The story itself though just wasn't that interesting I guess. Definitely not my favorite Hawthorne book.