Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Blithedale Romance By Nathaniel Hawthorne "The Annotated Classic Edition" A Utopian Community Romanticism Novel

Depiction of a utopian community that cannot survive the individual passions of its members.


The Blithedale Romance, considered one of Hawthorne's major novels, explores the limitations of human nature set against an experiment in communal living. From mesmerism to illicit love, The Blithedale Romance represents one of Hawthorne's best and most sharply etched works.


Based in part on Hawthorne's own experiences at Brook Farm, an experimental socialist community, The Blithedale Romance is especially timely in light of renewed interest in self-sufficient and other cooperative societies.


Henry James called it "brightest" and "liveliest" novel and "one of the most underrated works in American fiction."