Stuck at home with some time to spare? This is the perfect opportunity to get caught up on all of that classic lit you’ve been meaning to read! Start local with Salem’s own Dark Romanticism poster boy, Nathaniel Hawthorne.
Our hoopla digital collection has a veritable treasure trove of Hawthorne’s greatest hits to explore. The Scarlet Letter? Check. Young Goodman Brown? Check. Twice-Told Tales? You guessed it: check.
You can also find both the ebook and audiobook versions of his famed novel The House of the Seven Gables on hoopla. Take a peek at the 1940 film starring George Sanders, Margaret Lindsay, and Vincent Price and the made-for-television adaptation starring Shirley Temple, too!
And if that’s not enough to get your Seven Gables fix, check out the Images of America series guide to The House of the Seven Gables. This volume places the 352-year-old namesake of Hawthorne’s novel in its historical context, from its early days as a private residence to the advent of the house’s present form as a tourist destination.
Yearning for more? Our museum partners at the House of the Seven Gables have been hard at work creating virtual content to tide you over until you can visit the museum in person again. Their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest social media pages are chockablock with excellent resources for all ages covering Hawthorne, his works, and the house that inspired him. The House of the Seven Gables also has a dedicated webpage for all of their digital content, including streaming lectures and community conversations, interactive exhibitions, and a slew of at-home learning resources (including a really awesome Seven Gables-inspired scavenger hunt!).
So if you’re missing that “rusty wooden house, with seven acutely peaked gables, facing towards various points of the compass, and a huge, clustered chimney in the midst” do yourself a favor and experience The House of the Seven Gables in all of its wonderful forms online. Happy exploring!
Abbot Public Library Blog 