The Scarlet Letter
The canonical concise entry point to Hawthorne's major fiction.
Author guide
Nathaniel Hawthorne Books in Order
Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804–1864) was an American novelist, short-story writer, biographer, essayist, and travel writer associated with American Romanticism. His major works include The Scarlet Letter, The House of the Seven Gables, The Blithedale Romance, The Marble Faun, Twice-Told Tales, and Mosses from an Old Manse. He also wrote historical and biographical books for young readers, travel sketches, notebooks, and several posthumously published unfinished romances.
novelsshort storiesromancechildren's literaturebiographytravel writingessays
Catalog record updated .
Not sure where to begin?
Start with one of these
Twice-Told Tales
A representative introduction to his short fiction and characteristic themes.
A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys
An accessible introduction to his mythic storytelling and children's writing.
Read in order
Books by series
- 1 Grandfather's Chair: A History for Youth
Book 1 · nonfiction · 1841
- 2 Famous Old People: Being the Second Epoch of Grandfather's Chair
Book 2 · nonfiction · 1841
- 3 Liberty Tree, with the Last Words of Grandfather's Chair
Book 3 · nonfiction · 1841
duology · complete
Wonder-Book
A two-book sequence of Hawthorne's retellings of classical myths for children.
- 1 A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys
Book 1 · children's_book · 1851
Six legends of Greek mythology, retold for children by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Included are The Gorgon’s Head, The Golden Touch, The Paradise of Children, The Three Golden Apples, The Miraculous Pitcher, and The Chimaera. In 1838, Hawthorne…
- 2 Tanglewood Tales
Book 2 · children's_book · 1853
Tanglewood Tales uses the Greek classics as its source. Nathaniel Hawthorne has taken the most striking and exciting ones and adapted them for children. From the original stories he has selected episodes that illustrate conceptions held…
Outside the series
Bibliography by category
Novels (7)
- Fanshawe: A Tale
novel · 1828
Published anonymously at his own expense in 1828, Hawthorne's first novel is an engrossing apprentice work.
- The Scarlet Letter
novel · 1850
THE SCARLET LETTER is an 1850 work of fiction in a historical setting, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and is considered to be his best work. Set in 17th-century Puritan Boston, Massachusetts, during the years 1642 to 1649, it tells the…
- The House of the Seven Gables
novel · 1851
In a sleepy little New England village stands a dark, weather-beaten, many-gabled house. This brooding mansion is haunted by a centuries-old curse that casts the shadow of ancestral sin upon the last four members of the distinctive…
- The Blithedale Romance
novel · 1852
A superb depiction of a utopian community that cannot survive the individual passions of its members. In language that is suggestive and often erotic, Nathaniel Hawthorne tells a tale of failed possibilities and multiple personal…
- The Marble Faun; or, The Romance of Monte Beni
novel · 1860
- Septimius Felton; or, The Elixir of Life
unfinished_novel · 1872
- Doctor Grimshawe's Secret: A Romance
unfinished_novel · 1883
Nonfiction (3)
- Biographical Stories for Children
biography · 1842
- The Life of Franklin Pierce
biography · 1852
- Our Old Home: A Series of English Sketches
travel_sketches · 1863
Though he is now regarded as one of the masters of American literature, Nathaniel Hawthorne spent a sizable chunk of his peak writing years living in England. This volume collects a series of essays and sketches that Hawthorne penned…
Short fiction (3)
- Twice-Told Tales
short_story_collection · 1837
Twice-Told Tales is a short story collection first published in two volumes by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The stories had all been previously published in magazines and annuals, hence the name. Contains: The Gray Champion Sunday At Home The…
- Mosses from an Old Manse
short_story_collection · 1846
Presents twenty-six moral tales written during Hawthorne's residence in the historic Concord house.
- The Snow-Image, and Other Twice-Told Tales
short_story_collection · 1851
Posthumous collections (2)
- The Dolliver Romance, and Other Pieces
posthumous_collection · 1876
- Sketches and Studies
posthumous_collection · 1883
Other (3)
- Passages from the American Note-Books
notebook_collection · 1868
- Passages from the English Note-Books
notebook_collection · 1870
- Passages from the French and Italian Note-Books
notebook_collection · 1871
Frequently asked questions about Nathaniel Hawthorne
Who was Nathaniel Hawthorne?
Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804–1864) was an American novelist and short-story writer associated with nineteenth-century American Romanticism. He was born in Salem, Massachusetts, and became known for fiction exploring morality, guilt, and human nature.
Sources: loc.gov (opens in a new tab)poets.org (opens in a new tab)
Was Nathaniel Hawthorne related to the Salem witch trials?
Yes. He descended from John Hathorne, a Puritan judge who oversaw the Salem Witch Trials, and added the “w” to his surname in his early twenties. His writing frequently returned to Puritan New England and themes of guilt and sin.
Sources: poets.org (opens in a new tab)loc.gov (opens in a new tab)salem.lib.virginia.edu (opens in a new tab)
What jobs did Nathaniel Hawthorne hold besides writing?
Hawthorne worked for the U.S. Customs Service in Boston and served as surveyor at the Salem Custom House in 1846. In 1853, he was appointed U.S. consul in Liverpool, England.
Sources: nps.gov (opens in a new tab)home.nps.gov (opens in a new tab)
What influenced Nathaniel Hawthorne’s writing?
His work was strongly shaped by New England and Puritan history, especially questions of sin, guilt, morality, and inherited responsibility. His years in Concord also brought him into the intellectual orbit of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and other Transcendentalists.
Sources: loc.gov (opens in a new tab)poets.org (opens in a new tab)home.nps.gov (opens in a new tab)
What honors or recognition did Nathaniel Hawthorne receive?
Hawthorne was inducted into the American Poets’ Corner in 1986, and fellow writers such as Herman Melville and Henry James praised his work. He is now regarded as one of the leading authors of nineteenth-century American literature.
Sources: poets.org (opens in a new tab)loc.gov (opens in a new tab)