The Blithedale Romance

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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, whose 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. Appearing in 1852 to a public eager to read Hawthorne's next work, The Blithedale Romance was praised on its release for its unusual setting which broke with established literary traditions. Various other critics read into its themes, believing that the tale could literally be seen to represent the author's views on life and faith, and that the setting and its people may be considered autobiographical.