Search This Blog









2023 Literary Escapes Challenge
- Alabama (2)
- Alaska (1)
- Arizona (1)
- Arkansas
- California (12)
- Colorado (1)
- Connecticut (3)
- Delaware (1)
- Florida (1)
- Georgia (1)
- Hawaii (1)
- Idaho (1)
- Illinois
- Indiana (1)
- Iowa (1)
- Kansas (1)
- Kentucky (1)
- Louisiana (1)
- Maine (3)
- Maryland (2)
- Massachusetts (3)
- Michigan (2)
- Minnesota (1)
- Mississippi (1)
- Missouri (1)
- Montana (1)
- Nebraska (1)
- Nevada
- New Hampshire (1)
- New Jersey
- New Mexico (1)
- New York (11)
- North Carolina (4)
- North Dakota (1)
- Ohio (3)
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania (1)
- Rhode Island (1)
- South Carolina (1)
- South Dakota
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (4)
- Utah (1)
- Vermont (3)
- Virginia
- Washington (3)
- West Virginia (1)
- Wisconsin (2)
- Wyoming
- Washington, D.C.* (1)
International:
- Australia (3)
- Canada (7)
- Chile (1)
- England (21)
- France (2)
- Ireland (2)
-Italy (1)
- Scotland (2)
- South Korea (1)
- Sweden (1)
- The Netherlands (2)
-Vietnam (1)





2023 Build Your Library Reading Challenge







Tuesday, August 18, 2015
Despite Lovely Prose, Hawthorne Historical a Long, Dull Read
9:38 PM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Crippling headaches, brought on by her painting, keep Sophia Peabody out of society. Although she remains isolated because of her health, her artwork and lively journals attract attention from the outside world. Most especially from a shy, reclusive writer named Nathaniel Hawthorne. The couple fall quickly in love. Although Sophia pines for marriage, Nathaniel hesitates because of financial concerns. Finally, the two wed, joining their lives and artistic temperaments. It's a coupling beset by the usual challenges, not the least of which is trying to balance their creative lives with the requirements of home and family. Through the trials, their love endures, sustaining them both ...
It's difficult to describe The House of Hawthorne, a fictional imagining of a real-life marriage . Indeed, the story, written by Erika Robuck, runs very thin on plot, even thinner on action. While the book's quiet prose is quite lovely, poetic in many places, the narrative drags, making for a long, often dull read. The fact that I found Sophia whiny and annoying didn't help matters. The House of Hawthorne has many beautiful passages, as well as some intriguing thoughts on how art and love mingle—or don't—but, overall, the book put me to sleep. I finished it, but it felt more like a feat of endurance than enjoyment.
(Readalikes: Hm, I can't think of anything. You?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for sexual innuendo and content
To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of The House of Hawthorne from the generous folks at Penguin. Thank you!
1 comment:
Comments make me feel special, so go crazy! Just keep it clean and civil. Feel free to speak your mind (I always do), but be aware that I will delete any offensive comments.
P.S.: Don't panic if your comment doesn't show up right away. I have to approve each one before it posts to prevent spam. It's annoying, but it works!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments
(Atom)




Reading
Band of Sisters by Lauren Willig

Listening
Hooked: A Memoir in Crafts by Sutton Foster



Followin' with Bloglovin'



-
Audiobook: When in Rome4 hours ago
-
-
-
-
-
The White Lady - Jacqueline Winspear9 hours ago
-
On being happy...12 hours ago
-
-
-
-
Top Ten Tuesday-Fall TBR 2.012 hours ago
-
-
-
161. Dogtown23 hours ago
-
-
-
-
The Sands of Time 531 day ago
-
Wellness by Nathan Hill1 day ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
Books Read in August 20233 days ago
-
Bookish Quote of the Day!!4 days ago
-
The Middle Ground by Jeff Ewing4 days ago
-
Westover, Tara "Educated"1 week ago
-
-
-
I have been reading...1 week ago
-
Reading Recap August 20233 weeks ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
6/25/23 Extra Ezra3 months ago
-
-
Weekly Update - What I'm Reading3 months ago
-
-
Dotty Beanie with Ears4 months ago
-
-
-
-
Are you looking for Pretty Books?11 months ago
-
-
-
-
-

Grab my Button!



Blog Archive
- ► 2021 (159)
- ► 2020 (205)
- ► 2019 (197)
- ► 2018 (223)
- ► 2017 (157)
- ► 2016 (157)
- ▼ 2015 (188)
Aww what a shame. I keep reading books lately where just not enough is happening. Sadly this one sounds the same.
ReplyDelete