The Blithedale Romance

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 Romancerepresents one of Hawthorne's best and most sharply etched works, one that Henry James called his "brightest" and "liveliest" novel, and that Roy Male, acclaimed Americanist scholar, said is "one of the most underrated works in American fiction." This Modern Library Paperback Classics edition is set from the definitive Ohio State University Press Centenary edition of the novel.

John Updike's most recent books include the novel Gertrude and Claudius and a collection of critical essays, More Matter. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the National Book Award, the O. Henry Prize, the American Book Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award, and two Pulitzer prizes. He lives in Massachusetts.