I have never read Hawthorn before, and in the beginning he seemed a bit too pompous in style. However, after "Rappacini's daughter", which is an overwhelming masterpiece, I started to enjoy his writings immensely. The science he describes is magical in its essence and it reveals some very deep layers of human nature. You cannot but feel the charm of his fantasies embrace you and arouse your imagination.
His writings are very like Poe's,
of course, but they also remind me of Bradbury's, at least the ways they affect
my mind are very much alike
Illustration from Hawthorne's Works, Globe Edition, Houghton, Mifflin, and Co.,1880.
I've been thinking, as I reread Poe for the first time in ages, that his stories are a lot like the old Twilight Zone television show. In fact, now that I write this, even "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment" seems to fall in there.
ReplyDeleteWell, there is a reason we have them in one week ;)
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