The Blithedale Romance

Hawthorne's spectacular and thoughtful tale of love within a utopia demonstrates the author at his most accomplished and flowing. Miles Coverdale is our protagonist: his chief aim is to improve the lives and community of Blithedale Farm. We hear the myth of the Veiled Lady, a popular clairvoyant who promptly disappears from the community. Shortly thereafter at a dinner between the members of the small community, a friend of Coverdale named Hollingsworth arrives carrying a pallid young girl in his arms - she is accepted into the group, and immediately strikes up friendships. Unusual for a romantic novel for its mystical and mythical references, The Blithedale Romance often diverts to philosophical and religious topics with themes such as life and death, the rights of women, and clairvoyance appearing. Through his abilities as an author, Nathaniel manages to build interesting characters and relationships amid this reflective eclecticism.